BIO: Ousmane Dieng was born in France and grew up in Lot-et-Garonne, where his father, Ababacar, played basketball. As a junior, he played for Villeneuve Basket Club and JSA Bordeaux.

Dieng is considered a excellent passer and a defender with the potential to guard those multiple positions in the NBA. He told ESPN that fellow countryman Nic Batum of the LA Clippers and Toronto Raptors rookie of the year candidate Scottie Barnes are among the players whose film he watches and learns from.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Ousmane Dieng made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 18 years of age. He scored three points in his first game.

After playing 29 of their 36 games in Australia and finishing eighth with a 12-24 record the previous season, the New Zealand Breakers were again forced to play their entire NBL22 campaign away from New Zealand. After using Corey Webster, Tai Webster and William McDowell-White as their point guard trio, the Breakers planned to build around McDowell-White and move Corey Webster to the bench before allowing Webster (to Egypt) to exit his contract. Tai Webster (to Lithuania) also departed after choosing not to meet the NBL’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

New Zealand added Yanni Wetzell (via South East Melbourne), imports Peyton Siva (via Germany), Hugo Besson (via France) and Jeremiah Martin (via Cleveland), while French prospect Ousmane Dieng (via France) joined through the NBL’s Next Stars program. Dieng arrived from the INSEP Academy after averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in France’s third division, became the first European player to commit to the Next Stars program and entered the season ranked as high as 11 in ESPN’s 2022 NBA mock draft.

“I believe this move is the best step forward for me as I strive to become an NBA player,” he said.

New Zealand entered the season following a COVID-19 outbreak, with coach Dan Shamir unavailable and captain Thomas Abercrombie sidelined through injury. The Breakers opened against South East Melbourne at John Cain Arena on December 4, where Dieng (3 points and 2 assists) came off the bench in his NBL debut. Delany (18 points and 9 rebounds) and Siva (11 points and 3 assists) led New Zealand, while Xavier Munford (27 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led the Phoenix to an 89-65 victory.

Dieng (8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds across 23 games) struggled during the beginning of his first season in a top-level professional league. Across his first nine appearances, he averaged 16.7 minutes, 3.1 points, 2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 20 percent from the field and making only four of his 31 three-point attempts.

Dieng’s year with the Breakers included COVID-19 outbreaks, team shutdowns and an entire season on the road. His slow start saw him fall to 26 in ESPN’s draft rankings, one position ahead of Besson, after entering the season ranked as high as 11.

The Breakers also lost Siva (11.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2 steals across 23 games) and Abercrombie to injuries and began the season with six consecutive losses. Chasson Randle (7.8 points across 17 games) was signed as an injury replacement for Siva before being retained once the point guard returned. New Zealand then agreed to a mutual release with Martin (12.3 points and 3.6 assists across 10 games), allowing Randle to remain with the team. Plans to play home games later in the season were abandoned because of continuing border restrictions, forcing the Breakers to remain based primarily in Tasmania as they fell to 4-10 by the middle of February.

Dieng missed five games during the season. A left wrist injury suffered in February was expected to keep him sidelined for two to three weeks and caused him to miss games against Cairns on February 14, Melbourne on February 20 and Illawarra on March 1.

Dieng returned against Tasmania at the Silverdome on March 5 and finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Randle (18 points and 4 rebounds) and Loe (12 points and 7 rebounds) provided support, while Mikyle McIntosh (21 points and 4 rebounds) led Tasmania to a 66-62 win and kept the JackJumpers’ playoff hopes alive.

Two nights later at MyState Bank Arena, Dieng (17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block) produced another strong performance against Brisbane. Randle (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Siva (12 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals) also contributed, but Robert Franks (23 points and 10 rebounds) led the Bullets to a 92-74 victory.

New Zealand had its complete roster available for the first time against Adelaide on March 12, where Dieng (13 points and 4 rebounds), Besson (17 points and 4 assists) and Siva (16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) helped the Breakers end a four-game losing streak. Kai Sotto (14 points and 7 rebounds) led Adelaide as New Zealand won 84-75.

During the second half of the season, Dieng received more opportunities to initiate the offence as a point-forward and increased his production from 0.57 points per possession during the first half of the year to 1.01. Across New Zealand’s final 12 games, he averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line.

Dieng established a new season high against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on March 27, coming off the bench to finish with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal. Wetzell (21 points and 8 rebounds) and Besson (16 points and 6 assists) also contributed, while Kouat Noi (19 points and 6 rebounds) led Cairns. Dieng advanced the ball after Noi missed a late free throw but could not make a potential game-tying three-pointer as the Taipans won 93-90.

Dieng continued his improved form against Cairns at MyState Bank Arena on April 4, finishing with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block off the bench. Wetzell (24 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) and Besson (16 points) led New Zealand alongside him, while Keanu Pinder (21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) led Cairns to an 87-77 victory.

Dieng’s best game came against South East Melbourne at Bendigo Basketball Stadium on April 10, where he made four three-pointers and finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks off the bench. Abercrombie (17 points) and Wetzell (14 points and 6 rebounds) provided support, while Munford (25 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals) led the Phoenix to a 99-89 victory. It was Dieng’s fourth consecutive double-figure scoring game and completed a late-season run which restored his position as a potential NBA lottery selection.

Dieng did not play against Tasmania on April 15, although no injury or selection reason was publicly announced. He declared for the NBA draft and was allowed to return to France before New Zealand’s final game to spend time with his family and begin his draft preparations, accounting for his fifth absence of the season. Besson was also released to return to France and prepare for the draft.

“I’ve grown as a player through facing adversity and became a tougher person playing all the games away from home,” Dieng said.

Dieng became the first European player to progress from the Next Stars program into the NBA draft and was selected by New York with the 11th pick before his rights were traded to Oklahoma City.

Wetzell (17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 22 games) led New Zealand in scoring and rebounding before being released (to Spain) to join Baskonia with two games remaining and was later named the club’s MVP. Besson (13.9 points and 3.9 rebounds across 25 games), Delany (10 points and 5.6 rebounds across 26 games), Abercrombie (7.4 points across 13 games) and McDowell-White (6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists across 24 games) were the team’s other major contributors.

With Dieng and Besson in France preparing for the draft and Wetzell unavailable, New Zealand closed the season against Adelaide at MyState Bank Arena on April 24. Randle (14 points, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Bach (14 points and 1 steal) led the Breakers, while Sunday Dech (19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals) led Adelaide to a 93-60 victory. It was New Zealand’s tenth consecutive loss and completed the worst season in the club’s 19-year history, with the Breakers finishing tenth with a 5-23 record.

Ousmane Dieng played one season in the NBL. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 23 NBL games.

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