Moussa Diabate makes decision on 2022 NBA Draft

Michigan soon-to-be sophomore forwards Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate did not update their statuses before the clock struck midnight on April 24. However, Diabate has made his decision.

According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, Diabate will enter the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. He is still eligible to return for the 2022-23 season while going through the process. He has until June 1 to withdraw his name and return to Ann Arbor.

“Michigan’s Moussa Diabate has entered the 2022 draft while maintaining eligibility to return, a source tells me,” Woo said. “The 6-foot-10 Diabate showed flashes of promise as a freshman. His physical tools, motor and defensive versatility give him a chance to rise in the predraft process.”

Diabate confirmed the news via Michigan’s social media channels, releasing a statement.

“Michigan, it’s been my dream to take my game to the next level,” Diabate said. “With that in mind, I feel now is the right time to explore the NBA Draft evaluation process. I am excited to learn and go through the processes I have heard so much about. It is important to say the support and guidance Coach Howard and the staff has given me has been such a gift. I have appreciated all they have done for me and my family. I will be entering my name into the 2022 NBA Draft process.”

Diabate was one of Michigan’s five-star additions in 2021 and started 26 of 32 games for the Wolverines. He averaged nine points and six rebounds per game while shooting 52.4% from the floor. He was considered a potential lottery prospect ahead of the season but is not present on prospect boards as of this posting.

Houstan, who was the other five-star signee and No. 10 prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, started every game at Michigan this season. He averaged 10.1 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Houstan shot 38.4% from the field with a 35.5% mark from three-point range. He came into the season as a potential NBA lottery pick but did not appear on draft boards at year’s end.

National pundits were quick to put Michigan near the top of some Way Too Early Top 25 lists at season’s end. CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish considers them the favorites in the Big Ten for 2022-23.

“The Wolverines’ ranking is based on a returning core of Hunter Dickinson, Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate, each of whom is a nice college player but nothing resembling a sure-fire first-round pick,” he said. “For that reason, I’ll assume for now that they’re all back at Michigan, which could then be the favorite in the Big Ten.”

Michigan still has some other things to sort out, but the deadline decisions have helped paint a picture of the next steps moving forward this offseason. We will have to wait and see how the rest of it shakes out.

Michigan’s other offseason news

Sunday was particularly notable for sophomore center Hunter Dickinson’s announced return to the program. He was a force for Michigan in 2021-22, averaging 18.6 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Wolverines this past season. Dickinson had previously been public about last year being his swan song in Ann Arbor, but that talk cooled as the year went on. His return gives Michigan its lynchpin of the roster back.

More roster things need to be sorted out, but the news of the last few days gives us a solid idea of what Michigan brings back. The Wolverine will have coverage all offseason for the happenings for the men’s basketball program.