Boise State basketball faces All-American in Saturday’s home game. ‘There’s a pro.’
Redshirt sophomore Lamine Diane (pronounced Luh-meen Jah-neh) has played in one game for Cal State Northridge this season, but there is little doubt in Leon Rice’s mind that the 6-foot-7 forward from Dakar, Senegal, will be the best player his Boise State men’s basketball team faces all season.
Diane is the only player in the 51-year history of the Big West Conference to sweep player of the year, freshman of the year and newcomer of the year accolades in the same season. He was voted an honorable mention Associated Press All-American.
Diane was academically ineligible for the first semester of 2019-20, and the Matadors went 2-10. In his season debut Dec. 22, Diane had 30 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots in an 85-50 win over San Francisco State.
Boise State (8-5) will try its hand at stopping the dynamic Diane when the Broncos host Cal State Northridge (3-10) at 4 p.m. Saturday at ExtraMile Arena. Boise State leads the all-time series 7-0, with their last meeting coming in 2016.
“He’s a heck of a player. You talk about there’s a pro, well, when I look at film, that’s what I see,” Rice said. “... “What I see is a versatile player. You can’t say ‘he’s this position’ or ‘he only does this.’ He’s one of those guys that the game just looks like it comes easy to him.”
Diane finished the 2018-19 season ranked sixth in the country in points (24.8) and rebounds (11.2) per game. With him out of the lineup, teammate Terrell Gomez had to step up. Gomez enters the game against Boise State second in the country in 3-point field goals made (47), fourth in total points (289), fifth in 3-point field goals made per game (3.62), and ninth in points per game (22.6) and field goals made (96). The 5-8 junior guard broke the Matadors’ all-time record for made 3-pointers in their most recent outing.
“I think we played pretty well and a lot of it had to do with Lamine,” Cal State Northridge coach Mark Gottfried said after their victory over San Francisco State. “He gives the team so much confidence, and he makes the game easier for everybody else, too. We’ve had a lot of games where they’ve put a bigger defender on Terrell and made it hard — now you’ve got to guard Lamine in there.”
Diane’s recent return conveniently coincides with the home debut of Boise State junior Abu Kigab, who played his first game for the Broncos in their Diamond Head Classic opener against Georgia Tech. Kigab is known as a strong defender and likely will play an important role trying to slow Diane on Saturday.
“You’re adding a guy who’s unselfish, cares about the team, plays really hard, plays with a passion and our guys respect him,” Rice said. “... That makes you feel like you have an upside in January, and that’s exciting.”
Remember to bring a coat
Redshirt junior guard Derrick Alston Jr. teamed up with fellow members of Boise State’s BroncoLife program to hold a coat drive for the Boise Rescue Mission.
Fans who donate a new or gently used coat at Saturday’s game will receive a discounted $7 ticket. Coat donations will begin when the doors open at 3 p.m. at ExtraMile Arena Lobby 2.
“What a great thing. It makes you proud as a coach,” Rice said last week. “It wasn’t anything that we told him or made him do. He just saw a need for it and wanted to help out.”
Will a former NBA champ attend Saturday’s game?
For the second time this season, Boise State will face a team that features a son of former NBA champion Metta World Peace, previously known as Ron Artest.
Sophomore forward Ron Artest III is averaging 2.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes a game for Cal State Northridge. Artest III has started five of the Matadors’ 13 contests.
On Nov. 15, freshman guard Jeron Artest played 8 minutes and scored three points as UC Irvine topped the Broncos 69-60 at ExtraMile Arena. World Peace, who won an NBA title in 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers, did not attend the game.
Notes: Saturday’s game will be streamed online by the Mountain West Network, which is available at BroncoSports.com/mwn. Games also can be heard on the radio at 670 AM. ... Alston Jr. was one of five players named to the 2019 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic All-Tournament Team. Alston averaged 23.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game as the Broncos went 2-1 at the tournament.
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 6:19 PM.
