Seven-foot sophomore center Ismaila Diagne has gone portaling, the fifth Gonzaga Bulldog to do so this cycle. He joins graduate wing Steele Venters, junior wing Emmanuel Innocenti, redshirt junior guard Braeden Smith, and redshirt freshman guard Cade Orness.
Diagne served mostly as the third big behind forward Graham Ike and redshirt junior forward Braden Huff from 2024-26. During his time, the native of Nguekhokhe, Senegal, averaged just 1.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 38 appearances, including three
starts.
His most memorable performance came against the Santa Clara Broncos at the Leavey Center on Feb. 25, 2025. Daigne punched in a career-high nine points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field, four rebounds, one block, and one steal in the 95-76 victory. Outside of that, he served mostly as a locker room presence and crowd favorite with his upbeat demeanor with fans.
Gonzaga will now be pushing harder than ever to find a two-way rim presence with experience through the portal. The Zags only have three players on the 2026-27 roster over 6-8: 6-9 redshirt freshman forward Parker Jefferson, 6-10 Huff, and 6-11 true freshman center Sam Funches.
The main core of next season’s lineup is still intact for now, with incoming sophomore point guard Mario Saint-Supery, sophomore wing Davis Fogle, as well as the offensive focal point for coach Mark Few in Huff.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
