Bulldogs' Hutson lands first recruit and he's a big one: 7-foot-1 Assane Diouf

New Fresno State basketball coach Justin Hutson has received a commitment from 7-foot-1 center Assane Diouf from the DME Academy in Florida, who fits nicely in the Mountain West Conference and on a roster that was in need of a true center.

Diouf, a 17-year-old from Dakar, Senegal, had at one point been committed to Georgia Tech and also was recruited by Rutgers, Massachusetts, Rider and Coastal Carolina. He planned to visit Wake Forest before committing to Hutson and the Bulldogs.

"He's a legit 7-1, old-school post," said Nicholas Couluris, director of camps and recruiting at DME Academy. "They don't make them like him any more. That's a big get for Coach in his first year there.

"He's a back-to-the-basket pure low post, a defensive stopper, a real paint protector. He's a load inside. He dominated our conference down here this year," averaging approximately 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks per game, Couluris said.

Under NCAA rules, schools are not allowed to comment on a recruit until a national letter of intent has been signed and validated. Diouf is expected to sign in the next few days.

"I liked the program and the coaching staff," he said. "The campus I liked a lot. And the program, they need a big man. They don't have a five. (the center position) They need a five, so I have a chance to play next year."

Fresno State center Terrell Carter II is graduating and 2018 recruit Efe Odigie headed to Texas-El Paso after he was released from his scholarship.

Diouf and Samba Kane both moved as teens from Senegal to Denver without their families to pursue their college basketball and education dreams, according to the Denver Post. The 7-foot Kane has committed to Illinois.

Diouf transferred to the DME Academy this season, improving his game and college prospects. "He's just reaching his potential," said Daniel Mondragon, coach at DME. "He's a kid that has great hands, great feet, and when it finally clicks how big and strong he is he's going to be a force to be reckoned with. He's a load. He's a big, big body. He's 7-1 with a 7-3 wingspan."

At DME, Diouf specifically worked on his defense, defending man-to-man, defending the pick-and-roll and containing ball handlers.

"He has been in the States since he was a freshman, but he had not had a ton of basketball, real instructional programming since he has been here," Couluris said. "He played a little bit of AAU. He played with the Colorado Hawks and then he just went to a regular public school in Denver. He was just kind of in the population out there and was able to transfer in to DME where he could really focus on basketball instruction and get his grades right.

"We got him right academically and right athletically to where he can compete in the Mountain West next year. He was originally (in the 2019 recruiting class) coming to us and we classed him up. We thought he was ready to play now and could contribute and wanted to get him going because we think he has a chance to be another guy at Fresno State that can make it to the league," referring to the Fresno State-NBA lineage that includes most recently Paul George and Tyler Johnson.

DME plays in one of the most competitive independent leagues in the country, facing seven of the nation's Top 25 teams this season. Diouf matched up against some of the country's best players including 6-10 Vernon Carey Jr., who is rated No. 2 in the Class of 2019, and 6-10 Jordan Brown, a McDonald's All-American.

Couluris said Hutson only recently began recruiting Diouf. "Justin came on kind of late here in the season and through a mutual friend reached out and he was able to make this happen here in a short period since he got that job. He did a great job and we think he's going to do a great job with Assane. Fresno State has a NBA wall in their facility and hopefully Assane will be the next face on that behind Paul George and Tyler Johnson.

"He's a 7-footer and if he can get his body right and make the strides athletically at Fresno State he has the skill level and the talent level to be able to play in the NBA."

This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 9:34 PM with the headline "Bulldogs' Hutson lands first recruit and he's a big one: 7-foot-1 Assane Diouf."