Moustapha Diagne puts aside Syracuse distractions as team wins North A Title — Cuse Clicks

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Diagne will not be joining Syracuse this fall

You could’ve forgiven Pope John senior forward Moustapha Diagne for being distracted. After all, the Syracuse-bound Diagne has had to deal with the turmoil surrounding his future school and the prospect of reduced scholarships and perhaps diminished chances at winning. But the 6-foot-9 Diagne didn’t seem fazed Wednesday night at the Rutgers Athletic Center, when he scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds as Pope John XXIII beat Seton Hall Prep 52-42 to win the New Jersey Non-Public North A title. “I just focus on my senior season,” Diagne said after the game.

» Moustapha Diagne Puts Syracuse Turmoil Aside, Leads Pope John to Non-Public North A Title

Jamal Murray is another intriguing prospect that could eventually play in the NBA. He’s a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Canada with a terrific wingspan and great scoring instincts. A member of the Class of 2016 recruiting class, he’s the No. 58 prospect in that class with Syracuse, Oregon and Michigan State among the favorites to secure his collegiate services.

» World Team roster announced for 2015 Nike Hoop Summit

This past Saturday, 2015 four-star center Thomas Bryant made his second trip to Bloomington this school year in time for Indiana’s regular season finale against Michigan State. Bryant on Monday night told Inside the Hall that he enjoyed his weekend visit to Bloomington, and that the Hoosiers remain “one of my final schools.” “I thought it was great,” Bryant said. “Great atmosphere, the people treated you like their own. Great people there.”

» 2015 McDonald’s All-American Thomas Bryant recaps IU visit, talks recruitment

The loss was a particularly tough one for Malachi Richardson, who will be playing his college basketball at Syracuse next season. Richardson won the Tournament of Champions with Roselle Catholic as a sophomore before returning to TCA, where his former team has now eliminated him from the postseason in back-to-back seasons. “It was great coming back and being able to play in front of my family,” Richardson said. “I really wanted to come back and win another Tournament of Champions, but we fell short.”

» TCA can’t hold big lead, falls to Roselle Catholic in Non-Public B South final

Chillicothe fought until the very end but saw its season come to a close at the hands of Gahanna Lincoln, 57-44, in a Division I district semifinal Wednesday night. Early on, it looked like Gahanna was going to run away with the game. The height of 6-foot-8 Matt Moyer and 6-9 Nick Ward helped the Lions start off on a 10-0 run, which forced Chillicothe to call timeout.

» Chillicothe boys fall to Gahanna in district semifinals

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.