Mahamadou Diop, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center at San Gabriel Academy who came here from Mali, is someone basketball fans in Southern California will need to watch in the coming years. He’s that good.
“My dream is to go to NBA,” he said.
He had 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in the first half of Friday’s Division III state championship game at Golden 1 Center. Three of his baskets came on dunks. He didn’t score in the third quarter when his team’s lead went from 13 points at halftime to four points. That’s when he rose up at the start of the fourth quarter to get his team rolling, and San Gabriel Academy held on for 52-51 win over Sunnyvale King’s Academy to win its first state title.
Mahamadou Diop of San Gabriel Academy soars for a dunk against King’s Academy in the Division III state final at Golden 1 Center.
(Greg Stein for The Times)
Diop finished with 20 points, making 10 of 16 shots, and also had 13 rebounds and seven blocks.
With San Gabriel Academy having a nine-point lead in the final minute, the Eagles started making turnovers and fouling. King’s Academy closed to within 50-49 with 11.3 seconds left before Xavier Wang made two free throws for a three-point lead.
“I lost about five years in my life in the last 15 seconds,” San Gabriel Academy coach Daniel Piepoli said.
A layup by King’s Academy just before the buzzer sounded, the 25th San Gabriel Academy turnover, allowed the Eagles to run out the clock and celebrate its first championship in school history.
Diop, who doesn’t speak much English and is 17 years old, said he likes blocking shots more than dunking. Piepoli said, “He gets better every single day. You can see he can tear the rim down.”
As he improves his shooting touch from outside, his value as a player will only increase.