Through Three Games, Cheikh Mbacke Diong Making Impact for UCF Basketball

UCF Basketball was fortunate to bring in Cheikh Mbacke Diong because he’s already changing how the Knights perform.

Author:
Jack Edwards
Publish date:
Nov 20, 2021 1:05 PM EST

UCF Men’s basketball has started off the 2021-22 season in impressive fashion, as they are 3-0 for the first time since 2017-18, including a convincing road win over Jim Larrañaga’s Miami Hurricanes. One of the biggest contributors in all three games has been the fifth-year senior transfer forward from UNLV, Cheikh Mbacke Diong.

Diong brings something to the table that UCF has not been able to find since the departure of former standout and fan-favorite, Tacko Fall. He has shown an ability early on to keep opponents out of the paint with his length and physicality, forcing opposing teams to find other ways to score, and in turn, taking some pressure off of his teammates on the defensive side of the ball. Diong had an astounding five blocks against Robert Morris on opening night, helping UCF as a team tally eight blocks in a single game for just the 30th time in school history.

Solid rim protection is nothing new for Diong. In his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons at UNLV, Diong ranked among the top four in blocks per game in the Mountain West Conference, including ranking second in the conference with 1.2 per game in 2019-20. While blocks are not an end-all-be-all stat to judge defense, it cannot be denied that Diong plays a major role in coaxing opposing players away from the paint.

Something else Diong provides that UCF was missing last season is rebounding. UCF did not have a single player average over five boards per game last year, and as a team they were mediocre at best when it came to rebounding. Diong, on the other hand, ranked in at least the top six in rebounds per game in the Mountain West in his junior and senior seasons, with 7.9 and 7.4 rebounds per game in those years respectively. Offensive rebounds were not hard to come by for him either, as he was proficient at giving his team second chance opportunities at UNLV.

Diong is also efficient on the offensive end. While he is not a high volume scorer, he does not waste chances to score when the opportunity presents itself. He has a fundamentally sound post game, along with a solid hook shot he loves to go to when the defense gives him a little too much space. This brings a bit of balance to UCF’s offense, and allows UCF’s guards to comfortably space the floor.

Diong has the potential to be even more impactful this season than he had been at UNLV, as UCF Head Basketball Coach Johnny Dawkins has always had a defense-first coaching style. When announcing the addition of Diong back in May, Dawkins said, “He can really defend at a high level, which is what we hang our hat on. He has a ton of experience and will bring leadership to our locker room.” Diong is also now able to learn from new UCF Assistant Coach Mamadou N’Diaye, a former rim protector in his own right a few years ago at UC Irvine, who also happens to share the same hometown in Senegal as Diong.

With a lot of players returning from last season, the addition of Diong could very well make UCF a contender in the American Athletic Conference this season, and potentially could be the final tipping point needed to push UCF back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018-19.

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