Diop took bumpy road to USU
Standing at 6 foot 6, Utah State center Banna Diop has never been one to stand down. Diop can take hits on and off the court and has been doing so for years.
“My dream was, all the time, that one day, I’m going to go to the U.S. and play basketball there.” Diop said.
Originally from Senegal, she ended up playing high school basketball in Japan. This is where USU women’s basketball head coach Raegan Pebley said she first first found her.
“Coach came there to visit me, and she wanted me to come here to Utah State,” Diop said. “And I was like, ‘OK, I want to go.'”
However, Diop quickly found out her basketball experience in the U.S. would have to wait. After high school graduation, Diop said she found out she was pregnant. She called Pebley to tell her she wouldn’t be able to come to USU.
“(Pebley) said, ‘Even if you have a baby, you can still come to play at Utah State. Don’t give up now,'” Diop said.
Pebley said she’s supported Diop from the beginning.
“I’m really proud of the woman she is,” Pebley said. “She’s grown so much. She is one of the strongest and most impressive women I know.”
Pebley said every year has been tremendously different for Diop and her growth. In 2008-09, the first year Diop was on campus, she sustained a knee injury and redshirted that season, while also learning to speak English.
“All I was speaking (at first) was ‘I’m so happy,'” Diop said of her knowledge of English.
Pebley said when Diop first arrived she hardly knew any English and had to develop language skills the first couple of years.
“In her second year, we started to get to know her personality more, she could express it,” Pebley said. “Just then, she was really showing us what she could do on the court.”
This season, Diop’s junior year, has brought another transition, because Diop now has her 4-year-old daughter with her for the first time since moving to Logan.
Pebley said balancing family life with the life of a student-athlete has become a whole new experience for Diop. Because Diop’s husband does not live in Utah, Pebley said, “It is very much like being a single mom.”
“She’s a full-time mom while being a full-time student-athlete,” Pebley said. “It’s a tremendous challenge. I don’t know how she does it.”
Diop said her teammates are there for her all the time for support.
“When I am having bad days, they just lift me up,” Diop said.
Right now the main goal for Diop and her team is to win the WAC Championship, she said.
“I want to make this my last year,” Diop said. “So I want to finish the year strong. I think that we can do it.”
Currently, Pebley and Diop agree the Aggie center hasn’t performed her very best this season. Diop believes it is because she has been injured.
“ I’ve always had knee problems because I am too tall,” Diop said. “My knees are not stable. I have old, old person knees.”
Diop’s unstable knees were the reason she redshirted after her freshman season at Utah State. Doctors cleaned out her knees and removed her meniscus to help Diop perform better.
Other than injuries, Diop said she will continue to progress as she gets more adjusted to her current life situation. Pebley agreed.
“I know that she’s got tremendous skill that we have not tapped into this season,” Pebley said. “Those days are coming.”
Diop said 2011 was not an easy year.
“But it’s not as hard as I thought it would be,” Diop said about adjusting to having her child with her. “It’s easier because I have my teammates around helping me and stuff.”
Although NCAA rules prevent Pebley from giving her star center certain kinds of assistance, Diop said she feels surrounded by helpful, caring friends and teammates.
“That’s why it’s easier,” Diop said.
– mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu