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Ohio State got some disappointing news this week as fans learned center Ibrahima Diallo would be entering the transfer portal. Diallo was expected to be a depth piece for the Buckeyes heading into next season.
Ibrahima Diallo has entered the transfer portal after playing in just thirteen games in two seasons with the Buckeyes. Ohio State now has one scholarship available for the 2021-22 season.
— Ohio State Hoops Insider (@OSUHoopsInsider) May 4, 2021
During his two seasons in Columbus, Diallo only saw limited on-court contributions. He played in 13 total games and averaged just 2.0 minutes per game last season. However, much of that had to do with the talented pieces in front of him like EJ Liddell and Kaleb Wesson. After all, it’s hard to complain too much about a player sitting on the bench when the guys in front of him are All-Big Ten contributors.
For Ohio State, this is a bit of a mixed bag. The good news is Diallo didn’t contribute much for the Buckeyes over the last two years and likely would have played off the bench behind Liddell and Kyle Young once again this year. The bad news is Diallo had more potential at the five than arguably any other player on Ohio State’s roster. Losing a player with that kind of long-term upside is never good news.
All told, Ohio State remains in good shape and fans will certainly have to wish Diallo the best moving forward. We’ll have to stay tuned to see how things sort out.