Bulldogs’ 7-1 recruit Assane Diouf to start classes; eligibility ruling expected next week

Fresno State center Assane Diouf, at 7-foot-1 the big prize in coach Justin Hutson’s first recruiting class, is set to start classes on Thursday.

Diouf, who reclassified into the 2018 recruiting class from 2019 to get to Fresno State, had to complete some summer course work to enroll and was not on campus when fall semester classes started Aug. 23. A ruling on his eligibility for a 2018-19 season is expected in about one week.

If eligible, Diouf will be a key piece for Hutson in his first season at Fresno State. The Bulldogs are short bigs after losing Bryson Williams and Eric Villa over the summer. Williams transferred to Texas-El Paso, reuniting with former Bulldogs coach Rodney Terry. Vila decided to continue his basketball career in Europe.

The only fours on the roster are 6-8 junior Nate Grimes, 6-6 senior Sam Bittner and 6-11 sophomore Lazaro Rojas.

“He is a big piece, because we want to have some depth,” Hutson said of Diouf last week. “He’s a huge piece.”