Los Angeles Clippers pick Michigan basketball's Moussa Diabate in second round of 2022 NBA Draft
With the No. 43 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Michigan Wolverines basketball forward/center Moussa Diabate. He’s the second U-M player to be taken tonight, joining Caleb Houstan (No. 32 to the Orlando Magic).
Diabate and Houstan were Michigan’s second and third one-and-done prospects of the century, joining Ignas Brazdeikis in 2019. Guards Eli Brooks and DeVante’ Jones are also NBA Draft hopefuls, but their odds of being picked Thursday night are slim. The Wolverines have now had 14 picks since 2013.
“Another upside pick for a Clipper team that’s been known for focusing on developing,” ESPN analyst Bobby Marks said on the broadcast. “Twenty years old, athletic, 6-11, 220 pounds. Nine points, six rebounds. I think you’re probably looking at — when we get to this point in the draft right now — we’re looking at players that are likely going to be tagged with a two-way contract and just focused on development — and then down the road, as a foundational piece for the future.”
Diabate was a big part of Michigan’s 2021-22 team, averaging 24.8 minutes per game as the starting power forward and backup center behind Hunter Dickinson. He recorded nine points, six rebounds and 0.8 assists per outing. He scored in double figures 13 times, highlighted by a 28-point performance at Iowa.
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Diabate had the third-highest usage rate among Wolverine starters — ahead of Houstan — and averaged nine points and six rebounds per game. He shot 54.2 percent overall, and connected on 57.1 percent of his two-point shots during Big Ten play, which ranked 14th in the league. He hit just three of his 14 three-point attempts, an area of his game he’s working to improve.
All season long, Diabate embraced instruction from Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, a former big man himself who played 19 years in the NBA.
“It’s great. It’s a blessing,” Diabate said of his time spent with Howard. “Coach Juwan, he’s a great man, and he’s always been real with me. The fact that he’s played in the NBA, been in the shoes where I’ve wanted to be at, is just a blessing, and it’s great.”
Diabate came to America in 2015, and bounced around to four different high schools in five years. The pro level is his sixth stop in a seven-year span.
‘It’s just made me who I am today,” Diabate said of his journey. “It’s made me a better man, definitely a better version [of myself].”
Diabate impressed at the NBA Combine in mid-May. Here are Diabate’s measurements from the event, according to the NBA.
| Body Fat Percentage | 2.7 |
| Hand Length (Inches) | 8.50 |
| Hand Width (Inches) | 10.50 |
| Height Without Shoes | 6’9.25″ |
| Height With Shoes | 6’10.25″ |
| Standing Reach | 9’1.50″ |
| Weight (LBS) | 216.6 |
| Wingspan | 7’2.50″ |
Michigan basketball currently has six newcomers among its 12 scholarship players slated to be on the roster next season, thanks to the turnover caused in part by Diabate’s departure.
