Massamba Diop Commits to Gonzaga over St. John's in Massive Win for Mark Few

The Bulldogs beat the Johnnies for one of the most coveted centers in the transfer portal

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Massamba Diop (35) grabs a rebound against the Baylor Bears during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

It was a two-horse race the entire way and Mark Few and the Gonzaga basketball program edged out Rick Pitino and St. John’s for the services of Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop.

The 7-foot-1 highly coveted center announced his decision on Tuesday night, days after returning from an official visit with the Red Storm in New York City.

Each program was looking for a replacement for its superstar center after the Bulldogs saw the eligibility dry up of Graham Ike this season and Johnnie anchor Zuby Ejiofor also exhausted his years in college basketball.

Massamba Diop was considered one of the four best centers to enter the portal this spring alongside Kansas’ Flory Bidunga, Cincinnati’s Moustapha Thiam, and Seton Hall’s Najai Hines – players that were all connected to St. John’s despite not landing any of them.

Bidunga and Hines committed on their first official visit of the offseason to Louisville and UConn, respectively, while Thiam took a handful of visits before landing with Michigan.

Nevertheless, Gonzaga is the big winner as Diop will join a frontcourt next to Braden Huff as he returns from an injury that limited him to 18 games this season and not seeing the court after January 8. He was averaging 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game before the injury, proving to be one of the best players in the country.

Throughout his freshman season, which he posted 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds, Diop emerged as a legitimate first round selection in the 2027 NBA Draft as long as he becomes more polished around the rim and finetunes his game. His size, length, and athleticism are perfect for a modern NBA big man, and he’s displayed that he’s not afraid to shoot the 3-point ball.

Now, Massamba Diop will get a chance to add to the legacy of Gonzaga basketball in the newly minted Pac 12 Conference this winter and prove why he was considered one of the best big men available this offseason.