The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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A Long Journey Now a junior, Diarra gets to play in big arenas under the bright lights of a pre- mier basketball conference, but his first taste of American college hoops was far from glamorous. While at Garden City Community College, Diarra learned to embrace the grind while working his way toward a Division I scholarship. Still, his time with the Broncbusters was humbling. "In my head, I was like, 'I'm too good to play in juco,'" Diarra said. "But when you've got to go to junior college, you have to face it. After that, you have extra motivation. I'm coming from nowhere." While he was at Garden City, Diarra stood out from the rest. During his freshman season, he averaged 8.4 points and 10.2 rebounds with 6 double-dou- bles. He followed up that performance by averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 boards in his second season, a year in which he paced the National Junior College Ath- letic Association in rebounds per game. He was rated the No. 1 junior college recruit in the country after the standout campaign. Bill Morosco, who was the head coach at Garden City during Diarra's sopho- more season, raved about the player's understanding of the game. "He has just a great feel, and maybe it came from his soccer background in passing lanes and baiting a guy into a steal," Morosco said. "Six-foot-10 guys don't usually do that. He would trick them into throwing a pass, and the sec- ond they did, he was going the other way. And then he'd throw a great pass to a teammate for a dunk." That feel for space on the floor also helped Diarra pass the ball as a post player. He had 50 assists that season, a stat that jumped off the page to Mo- rosco. "He sees openings, passing lanes that big guys just don't see," Morosco said. "He sees the opportunity, and he gets it there. It's almost as if you have a 6-foot-10 point guard out there." NC State may have signed just two 2024 prospects in November, but the class was listed 26th in the country and fifth in the ACC in the On3 Industry Ranking. The Wolfpack welcomed four-star small forward Paul NcNeil and four-star combo guard Trey Parker. McNeil is the No. 59 player nationally in the On3 Industry Rank- ing, which combines the ratings of the four major recruiting websites. He's the pro- gram's highest-rated high school signee since it landed Isaiah Miranda, the nation's No. 40 recruit, in 2022. Parker, meanwhile, checks in at No. 93 in the country. A Rockingham, N.C., native, McNeil was named Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year following his sophomore campaign at Richmond Senior High. He com- mitted to the Wolfpack in February over the likes of Clemson, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Alabama and others. Coach Kevin Keatts said he was thrilled that McNeil chose to stay in state. "He's a young man that we targeted the second we could start recruiting him," Keatts said. "He fits our program. He's athletic, highly skilled and a knock-down shooter. I think he's going to flourish in our system. Off the floor, he's a wonderful young man who is a great addition to our locker room." A year ago, McNeil led Richmond to its first state championship appearance since 1997, averaging 24 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He shot 53 percent from the field and knocked down 78 three-pointers. "He has a natural feel for scoring the ball," On3 analyst Jamie Shaw said. "McNeil plays with the utmost confidence and is best in the midrange. He has a slight hitch in his three-point shot that can get him off at times. McNeil lacks burst but can get to his spots, going right. He is a good area rebounder and an active wing defender." Parker is bound for Raleigh after originally signing with NC State as a 2023 pros - pect. He later chose to return for a second season at Atlanta Overtime Elite, where he averaged 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists while helping lead the City Reapers to the OT Elite Championship. Before enrolling at OTE, Parker attended Vertical Academy in Charlotte and New Life Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C. He played his freshman season at Cape Fear (N.C.) High, where he averaged 16.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.0 steals. "He is an acrobat in the air, and he uses his long arms and springy bounce to get high above the rim," Shaw said. As with McNeil, Keatts is excited for Parker to arrive on campus for next season. "I think Trey is just scratching the surface of what he can become," Keatts said. "He's an explosive athlete and probably one of the most entertaining high school basketball players out there, but there is a lot more to his game than just flash. "He understands the game, and he's equally able to play with or without the ball. He has deep range on his jump shot but is also shifty enough to create offensive opportunities for himself and others. He is coachable and will put the work in to get better. I'm excited to get him in our program." — Noah Fleischman Wolfpack Welcomes Two During November Signing Period Guard Trey Parker originally signed with NC State in 2023. He later opted to spend another season at Atlanta Overtime Elite before beginning his collegiate career. PHOTO COURTESY TREY PARKER Forward Paul McNeil chose NC State over Clemson, Indiana, Tennessee and others. The On3 Industry Ranking lists him as the No. 59 player in the country. PHOTO COURTESY PAUL MCNEIL 36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER