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The Gonzaga basketball team suffered a stunning loss on Wednesday against West Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis. However, Mark Few's team turned it around on Thanksgiving Day with an 89-73 win in dominant fashion.
Gonzaga scored 57 first-half points and six players finished in double figures, including the entire starting five.
One player who was notably absent in the Bahamas is freshman center Ismaila Diagne. After the game, Gonzaga assistant Brian Michaelson had an important injury update on Diagne, per Theo Lawson.
‘Assistant Brian Michaelson confirmed to me Ismaila Diagne injured his MCL in practice between the last game in Spokane and #Gonzaga's opener in the Bahamas. Says the center is “week to week,” but Zags are encouraged with how he's moving.'
Diagne has played in just three games this season and last played on November 20 against Long Beach State. Now, the latest update shows why he has not suited up in the Bahamas.
The 7-foot center is a native of Nguekhokhe, Senegal, and played for Real Madrid before coming to Gonzaga. With a loaded roster, it remains to be seen how many minutes Diagne will play.
Article Continues BelowIn the three games he has appeared in, he has played a total of 19 minutes but has scored 14 points with three rebounds, three steals, and three blocks during that time.
However, Diagne is now listed as “week to week” with the sprained MCL, and Few and the staff might hold him out longer to ensure he gets healthy. The good thing for Gonzaga is that they have plenty of depth.
The Bulldogs used nine players on Thursday against Indiana, so the depth isn't a problem thus far.
Gonzaga next plays Davidson on Friday in the fifth-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis, and after that, they have a huge test against Kentucky and UConn in back-to-back weeks, so Diagne's status will be worth monitoring before those showdowns.
