ORLANDO – Former UCF men’s basketball center Ibrahima Diallo was selected in the first round by the Austin Spurs in yesterday’s 2024 NBA G League Draft.
Diallo played his fifth and final year of college basketball with the Knights last season and was drafted 13th overall, making him the highest selected UCF player in the NBA G League Draft.
The Saly, Senegal native earned a Big 12 Honorable Mention nod at the conclusion of the 2023-24 regular season along with current Knights Darius Johnson and Jaylin Sellers. Diallo led the Big 12 Conference in blocks per contest after leading the league for most of the season, finishing with a clip of 1.78 blocks per game. His 57 blocks were just two shy of tying a career high. He tallied a pair of double-doubles while with the Black and Gold, including a career-best 17 points while pulling in 11 rebounds against Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 Conference Championship. Diallo came to the Knights after spending his first two seasons at Ohio State, followed with two breakout campaigns at San Jose State. He played in 32 of UCF’s 33 contests, earning a starting spot 19 times.
Diallo becomes the fifth player selected in the NBA G League Draft. The most recent Knight drafted before the seven-foot center was B.J. Taylor, going to Cleveland with the 16th overall pick in 2021. Dexter Lyons was the first to go in the NBA G League Draft, then known as the D League, being selected by Idaho in the third round with the 24th pick in 2006. Dave Noel followed in 2008, going to Reno with the 56th selection. Tristan Spurlock was drafted by Canton in 2014 in the 29th overall slot before making way for Taylor and Diallo.
Upon suiting up for Austin, Diallo will be the 11th Knight to play for either an NBA or NBA G League franchise. Five former members of the Black and Gold have suited up in the NBA, with the most recent being Taylor Hendricks, who became UCF’s first lottery and first round selection by going to the Utah Jazz at No. 9 in the 2023 NBA Draft. Tacko Fall, Jermaine Taylor, Mark Jones and Matt Williams round out the group of Knights who have played at the highest level.
Welcome to the Austin Spurs!👏
— Austin Spurs (@austin_spurs) October 26, 2024
In the first round of the 2024 NBA G League Draft, the Austin Spurs select Ibrahima Diallo as their 13th pick, and Steven Richardson as their 28th pick! pic.twitter.com/hWvM5In2rp