Assane Diop focused on development

Assane Diop, a junior at Denver (Colo.) Prep, is currently the No. 33-ranked prospect in the 2023 Rivals150 rankings.

“I do what I have to do, whatever the coach asks me,” Diop told Rivals.com. “I play team ball, try to get everyone involved, and do what I need to win. Offensively, I have developed different ways to score. I used not to score a lot, but now I am starting to score. I don’t compare myself to anybody, I am me, but I watch a lot of Kevin Durant.”

This summer, Diop played up in age with the Colorado Hawks on the 17u UA Rise circuit and had a host of college programs following him.

“I hear a lot from Colorado, Auburn, Arkansas, Memphis, Oklahoma State and Kansas,” Diop said. “They have all given me scholarship offers.”

Colorado: “That is the state I live in, where I am from. They do a good job of keeping up with me and checking in.”

Arkansas: “They are a good team; I like how they are running and the way they play. They let their big man play with freedom as I play, and I appreciate that.”

Auburn: “For me, the coach (Bruce Pearl), we talk a lot. And even though I am not there yet, he helps me out, goes through how I can develop my game. They are good with stuff like that.”

Oklahoma State: “They are good at developing players. They just had the No. 1 pick this year, and he is a bigger guy, too. They give me tips to develop my game too."

Kansas: “They like my game and what I can be if I keep developing. They talk a lot about development, and they have shown me they have had a lot of good big men.”

“I do hear from Gonzaga and UCLA, but they have not offered,” Diop said. “My main thing is school; I want to be a designer for cars. Obviously, I am going to look at basketball, and development will be something I look at; development and how they play their bigs. But for me, my main thing is school.”

Diop has a lengthy frame with good size. His fluidity is very intriguing on both ends of the floor. You can see some ball skills in his ability to grab and go. There are even instances where he re-initiates the offense in the half-court. He also possesses a smooth catch and shoot 3-point stroke that he makes at a solid clip. Things are still raw with Diop; he will need to continue figuring out how to be the best version of what he is on the floor. But the tools are there, and the upside is bright.