Throughout any athlete’s life, they will always hear the phrase, “Hard work pays off,” from coaches, parents and mentors. For many people, these are just words. However, freshman forward Matar Diop is the epitome of this phrase.
Diop’s journey to Lincoln has been different than most. In fact, he is the first player from Senegal to ever play for the Huskers.
Diop was born in Guediawaye, Senegal, a suburb of the capital Dakar — the city where he grew up. He started playing basketball in 2017 at age 13 — a much later age compared to other players at the collegiate level. Diop also played soccer while growing up, an uncommon sport for someone of his six-foot-ten stature, and continued to play until he came to the United States.
After being recognized for his talents, Diop joined the NBA Academy Africa in 2020 to further his basketball career. NBA Academy Africa is a part of the NBA Academies initiative, which strives to give international prospects a chance to develop under high-level coaches and to play against other top high school prospects. It was there where Diop would develop as a player.
In 2022, Diop was selected for the Basketball Africa League Elevate program. Through this program, Diop was given the opportunity to play for the Cape Town Tigers of the Basketball Africa League.
Although Diop saw limited action with the Tigers, it was a good stepping stone in his development.
For the 2022-2023 season, Diop would make a big decision and move to the United States to play basketball for Keystone Athletic Academy in Erie, Pennsylvania. For Diop, the main adjustment off the court was the lack of people around him.
“They don’t have a lot of people in Erie, like where I’m from,” Diop said. “In Dakar, the capital, there are a lot of people there. I used to stay at home in Pennsylvania.”
Diop also had to work hard to make adjustments on the court when coming to America.
“The game is faster, like the guards and everything are fast — they’re going quick, up and down,” Diop said.
Although the adjustments may have been hard to make, Diop worked hard to find success on the court in America. In the 2022-2023 season, Diop averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds for Keystone Academy and earned third-team all-state honors on the Pa. Sports Writers all-state team.
Diop’s on-court success would be recognized by many college coaches, including Nebraska assistant Ernie Zeigler. In early 2023, Zeigler was able to watch Diop play at the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, which featured other top prospects from the NBA Academies across the world.
Zeigler, who is known for his development of frontcourt players, immediately offered Diop an opportunity to play for the Huskers after watching him. Just a few weeks after the initial offer, Diop committed to Nebraska over schools such as Arizona State, Seton Hall and Ole Miss.
Although Diop was a late commitment and hasn’t been with the team very long, Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg has noted his impact on the team in practice.
“(Diop) has raised our level of practices because every time that ball goes up on the board, he is crashing in there and hitting guys in the head and elbowing them,” Hoiberg said at Big Ten media days in October. “He’s got a chance to give us some good minutes.”
Diop has also been noted for his incredible work ethic. His teammates have praised him for his ability to adjust and succeed in an uncomfortable environment.
“The language barrier and everything, and to make all the mistakes but still be able to show up every day — that speaks a lot about somebody’s character,” junior guard Brice Williams said about Diop.
Just like it has all of his life, Diop’s hard work has paid off in college. With junior forwards Juwan Gary and Blaise Keita sidelined for the beginning of the season, Diop has stepped in as a true freshman.
Diop played in both of the team’s first two games and threw down an emphatic dunk late in the game against Lindenwood. After the game, Hoiberg had some high praise for the true freshman.
“He’s got a really, really bright future,” Hoiberg said.
Diop’s hard work is the main reason he has been able to make the journey from Senegal to Lincoln. Husker coaches and fans are excited about what the future holds for the young player.