By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear Reporter | Photo via Aikman Fang
In the beginning parts of SJSU’s 77-61 exhibition win over Division II Cal State East Bay, SJSU sophomore center Adrame Diongue buried his head into a white Gatorade towel moments after being benched for clumsy turnovers.
Eveventually, however, that towel was used to wipe off sweat earned from attacking downhill and snaring rebounds. Diongue – a former top-45 recruit and headliner of SJSU’s recent recruiting class – used a dominant second half to finish with double figures and two blocks.
As SJSU looks to follow up its best season of all time without the three big men who helped make it happen, Diongue will need to exhibit more of his second half dominance. If he can’t, Diongue and other Spartans may find themselves burying their heads into white Gatorade towels on a nightly basis.
“I think good things can happen for him [Diongue],” SJSU men’s basketball third-year head coach Tim Miles said.
Before the game started, Diongue walked up to a ref and stretched out his hand to shake it. The ref was first a bit taken aback, but then stuck his hand back out and the pair smiled at their brief awkward exchange.
But that smile from Diongue quickly went away.
Right out the gate, Diongue was late to get to a cut to the rim and goal tended on a lay-up by CSU East Bay guard Chris James. After catching a glimpse of Diongue’s vulnerability down low, CSU East Bay forward Grady Lewis scored three-straight baskets to make it 8-2.
SJSU head coach Tim Miles yanked Diongue just four minutes in to his SJSU career.
Diongue plodded and then plopped on the bench.
Upon returning with four minutes left, Diongue was stripped at the top of the key which turned into a three-point play after he committed a foul at the opposite end. Moments later, Diongue first passed up on an opportunity to post up on a 6-foot-1-inch guard. Then, while working in the post, fell back and watched the ball roll away.
Mind you, this was against a Division II opponent.
Not only was Diongue SJSU’s prized transfer portal addition, but he was sought to fill the void left by departed big men Sage Tolbert (graduated) and Ibrahima Diallo (transferred to UCF). A void that was widened after Miles said SJSU forward Robert Vaihola is dealing with a “serious foot injury” following the win.
Many see the Omari Moore void as the one SJSU needs to fill, but this one is just as important.
Last season, the trio were instrumental in SJSU notching its first 20-win season since 1981, first-ever postseason win and first-ever Mountain West Tournament win. It’s important to note, only Diallo was on SJSU’s roster when it went 1-17 in conference play in 2021-22. More tellingly, he was injured for most of that campaign.
Diongue’s early errors and timidity pointed to how he might not be able to fill that massive void. What’s more, they gave one potential explanation for why he averaged less than two points and rebounds per game at Washington State last season.
But with a minute left in the first half, Diongue showed why a blue blood like Kansas was recruiting him heavily a few years ago.
Upon reentering, he slammed down a lob from Alvaro Cardenas to give SJSU its first lead of the game.
And then came his dominant, eight-point, five-rebound and two-block second half.
There was the play where he swooped into the paint on a missed SJSU free throw and put it back. An encouraging moment considering Vaihola was the Mountain West’s top offensive rebounder last season. Not long after, Diongue used his speed and eagle-like wingspan for a chase down block. Another encouraging sign considering Diallo was the conference leader in blocks per game last season.
When Diongue was subbed out with four minutes left, SJSU was up 66-53. Left dog tired by his efforts, that white Gatorade towel dried up his sweat-blanketed forehead. In one Saturday afternoon, Diongue exhibited two starkly different sides of himself.
One explains why he went from a Power five to SJSU. Another one shows why he became a top-45 recruit nationwide in the first place.
So which one will he be? The answer to that, well, that may decide whether or not SJSU builds off last year’s historic season.
Lord knows, it’ll only get tougher from here.