Gonzaga’s Long View: Ismaila Diagne and the Future of the Frontcourt

His development is unfolding the Gonzaga way—through patience, purpose, and a whole lot of promise. Diagne will be vital piece of the puzzle for the Zags in 2025-26 and beyond.

It can be tough to get a real smile out of Mark Few—he’s famously crippled by Resting Coach Face. But it’s also tough not to smile when talking about Ismaila Diagne. Still just 18 years old, the 7-footer from Senegal quickly become a fan favorite this past season thanks to his saves-the-day performance against Santa Clara at a crucial moment in the Zags’ rollercoaster WCC campaign.

This fanbase has a long, proud history of embracing international bigs who showed up in the Inland Northwest and turned themselves into legends, showing explosive but steady growth year after year: Ronny Turiaf, Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis, Elias Harris, Axel Dench, JP Batista, Mario Kasun (deep cut), Przemek Karnowski. Guys with accents, edge, and charisma—who turned heads on the court and won over fans throughout Zagville in their time with the program. Diagne hasn’t quite joined that group yet, but he’s following a familiar path.

He heads into his sophomore season as the primary frontcourt backup behind the dominant duo of Graham Ike and Braden Huff, and while he didn’t log major minutes as a freshman thanks to injury troubles and the sheer dominance of the Ike-Huff low-post machine, the flashes were there. More importantly, so was the potential.

This is how the Zags have always done it with their big men: they identify raw talent, bring it along in-house, and by year two or three, they’ve built something special. Diagne is next in line, and in the era of the transfer portal, his commitment to stay within the Gonzaga system is even more rare and encouraging. He’s already got a year in the system, a year banging bodies in practice with two of the best bigs in the country, and a résumé that includes real professional minutes overseas before he ever got to Spokane. Now, after a full season in The Olynyk Clinic™ and another summer of development underway, the arrow is pointing way, way up.

A Proving Ground in Spain

Before he ever threw on a Gonzaga jersey, Ismaila Diagne was already turning heads across the Atlantic. A native of Nguekhokhe, Senegal, Diagne sharpened his game in the powerhouse Real Madrid system—one of the best basketball development pipelines in the world. He played with confidence and control, holding his own in a system loaded with elite young talent.

In the Adidas Next Generation Tournament, playing for Real Madrid’s U18 squad, he posted double-doubles with regularity, averaging 12.5 points and 12 rebounds per game in the 2023 event. The following season, he helped carry Real Madrid to another tournament title in Berlin, putting up 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and nearly a block per game. He stayed consistent in the Podgorica Tournament as well, continuing to dominate the glass and finish efficiently.

Diagne also saw action with Real Madrid’s top team, earning minutes in the Spanish ACB league—widely considered the best domestic league in Europe—and appeared in a pair of EuroLeague games. That level of competition is no joke. And for a teenager still filling out his frame, those reps mattered.

A Glimpse of What’s Coming

Diagne arrived in Spokane as a 17 year-old with pro experience, braces on his teeth, and a reputation for relentless positivity. He became a fan favorite almost instantly—easy to root for, full of energy, and always the first off the bench to hype up a teammate. His journey from Senegal to Real Madrid’s academy to Spokane, Washington, was already remarkable. And early in the season, Mark Few made a comment that resonated deeply with longtime Zag fans: “He’s gonna run the floor great, I think he’s gonna end up being a great rim protector, he reminds me of Ronny Turiaf. He’s got great attitude… He’s got the size and the frame, he’s something different than what we just don’t have.”

The Turiaf comparison carries weight. It set the tone for how the program viewed Diagne’s long-term potential.

During the season, Diagne only appeared in ten games, averaging 6.6 minutes per outing. But when he played, he was sharp. He shot 80% from the field, went 10-of-12 from the free throw line, and posted 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in limited action. He scored 7 points in 6 minutes against Pepperdine, had 4 points in 3 minutes in the season opener vs. Baylor, and grabbed two rebounds in two minutes during Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament win over Georgia.

The most meaningful stretch came in February against Santa Clara. With Ike and Huff in foul trouble, Diagne stepped in and logged 18 minutes—by far his longest run of the season. He went 4-of-4 from the field, finished with 9 points, and looked composed throughout. Afterward, Few said: “He’s been just such a positive force on this team. He’s just such an incredibly positive person, he’s just so upbeat and such an inspiration to our guys. I told him afterward, he deserved that.”

It wasn’t a breakout year. It didn’t need to be. Diagne showed what he needed to show: he belonged.

Built for the Long Game

There’s no mystery about Diagne’s role next season: he’ll back up Graham Ike and Braden Huff in a frontcourt that returns as one of the most productive in the country. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be an afterthought. Quite the opposite. Diagne is shaping up to be a key piece off the bench—an interior disruptor who gives Gonzaga options.

At 7 feet tall and nearly 240 pounds, Diagne already brings serious size to the rotation. And with his 19th birthday not coming until December, there’s reason to believe he’s still got plenty of physical growth ahead. He’s already got a year in the weight room, a year in the film room, and a year of battling Ike and Huff in practice every day. That matters. The “Olynyk Clinic” isn’t a myth—it’s a proven track record of development, and Diagne’s enrollment is right on schedule.

He protects the rim. He rebounds above the cylinder. He brings a different physical profile than either Ike or Huff, and that gives Mark Few some real flexibility with rotations. Want to go big? A Huff–Diagne pairing gives you length, shooting, and size. Want to go bruising? Ike and Diagne together create a frontcourt that’s almost impossible to move. Want to go small and switch-heavy? Diagne’s rim presence lets you spread the floor and lean into pace without completely sacrificing paint protection.

His scoring touch is still developing, and the sample size is too small to know exactly what kind of offensive threat he’ll become. But the tools are there. And the production, in limited minutes, already shows how efficient and comfortable he can be.

Looking Ahead

Graham Ike is out of eligibility after this upcoming season, which means 2025–26 will be his final run in a Gonzaga uniform. Braden Huff, meanwhile, is confirmed to return for that season—his third year in the program—after redshirting as a freshman and breaking out as a sophomore. He had every reason to explore other options this offseason but chose to stay. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. In the age of the transfer portal, no college roster is ever guaranteed from year to year.

That makes Ismaila Diagne a crucial piece of the puzzle. With Ike on his way out and Huff’s long-term timeline uncertain, Diagne is poised to step into a much larger role sooner rather than later. Gonzaga is already laying the groundwork for what comes next, including hosting top frontcourt prospect Parker Jefferson on a recent recruiting visit. The 6’10”, 235-pound big brings the kind of physical tools that fit seamlessly into the Zags’ development model, though no decision has been made.

When Huff joined the program, he was listed at 6’9”, 205 pounds—a high-upside project who needed time.

Three years later, he’s pushing 250 and playing like one of the most polished offensive bigs in the country. That’s the Olynyk Clinic in action. And Jefferson, already physically mature, could be next in line. Pair that potential with Diagne’s length, defensive instincts, and ever-growing confidence, and Gonzaga’s future frontcourt starts to look like another problem for the rest of the country.

So yes—getting Huff and Ike back is a massive win. It gives Gonzaga the best returning frontcourt in the country. But having Ismaila Diagne behind them is what makes it sustainable. He gives the Zags depth now and a clear succession plan for what comes after. If this season goes the way it should, Diagne will be a big reason why—and by his junior season, he could be the central figure in whatever Gonzaga becomes next.