Inside The Huskies

Diomande's Husky Basketball Debut Remains Uncertain

The Frenchman just started practicing with Danny Sprinkle's team.
Dan Raley|
Dominique Diamonde joined the UW basketball team at Michigan State.
Dominique Diamonde joined the UW basketball team at Michigan State. | UW

Tall and slender, French basketball player Dominique Diomande strode into Alaska Airlines Arena before last Wednesday night's Washington-Purdue game and began to get acclimated with his new surroundings.

He shook hands with athletic director Pat Chun. He stood under the east basket with injured Huskies Franck Kepnang and Chris Conway and watched the healthy guys launch shots during pregame warm-ups. He grabbed a courtside seat and let everything soak in as tipoff approached.

This past Saturday, the 6-foot-8 teenager from Tours, France, went through his first extensive practice with Danny Sprinkle's team (10-8 overall, 1-6 Big Ten), which has lost four consecutive games, dropped into a tie with Minnesota for last place in the conference standings and could use a boost heading into Tuesday night's game at 13th-ranked Oregon (15-3, 4-3).

Sprinkle acknowledged his new Winter quarter roster addition and European import likely will play at some point this season, but not before he fully grasps what's required of him as an American college basketball player.

"Eventually he probably will, but he's got to earn it, too," the UW coach said. "We've had guys who have been playing and practicing and putting the work in, and I want to be fair to those guys, too."

It's delicate matter for him in putting Diomande into games at the expense of others. However, the Huskies haven't won in18 days.

"If he's clearly better, I've got to play him," Sprinkle said. "My job is to play the best players."

Diomande, 19, last suited up in the French pro leagues for ADA Blois and averaged 16 points per game on 51.9 percent shooting and averaged 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.8 steals an outing. He has an international background, as well, having played for Ivory Coast's senior team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualification games.

"He's still a long way from knowing things defensively and our offensive calls," Sprinkle said.

Dominique Diamonde is working his way into basketball shape after recently joining the UW.
Dominique Diamonde is working his way into basketball shape after recently joining the UW. | UW

For now, the Huskies will ease the willowy Diomande, who has drawn raves from NBA scouts for his athleticism, into the process and unleash him at an undetermined date.

"There's a lot of stuff that needs to happen next week, in two weeks, to three weeks before we feel comfortable with that," Sprinkle said.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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