Class of 2025 C Tiefing Diawara (Mali/WI) COMMITTED TO SYRACUSE (5/26/25)

[Orangezoo]

We needed a tall center for this roster with possible upside.

We got a tall center for this roster with possible upside.

Any other analysis positive or negative from YouTube highlights is ridiculous

Right let’s hope as many kids as possible are available for summer session to get to work and then see where things go from there.

Along with everyone being healthy and ready to play day 1.

 

[RedtheGOB]

I’m not. I’m hoping he does not foul out before he scores a point. My bar is fairly low.

Have you met Jeremy McNeil ? Well he’s got a chip playing that way and you don’t.

 

[CardiacCuse]

Diawara plays for a legit AAU program and is putting up decent numbers. Also shooting 80% from the free throw line. I think that with the size is definitely worth a flyer.

yeah exactly

not sure why people thought so highly of Petar...but he really didnt offer enough

not big enough to be a center which was very important if he was going to stay on the roster as a center...and not really dangerous enough on offense as a forward

he did pass well, he played "team basketball" and gave max effort

but his production was very low and not very likely to improve

as far as diawara, he has an incredible wingspan and length that simply cannot be taight...he is athletic and can play basketball...hes not just a tall guy

for me its a no-brainer that I would want him over petar at center...furthermore, im not really sure why people would assume that someone like suare is automatically keeping this guy on the bench

 

[bnoro]

Good points. With guys like this for me it always comes down to how aggressive they play. When put on the court do they try and find their way around and float or attack the opportunity and play hard? A lot of times that is what is the key. Take Naheem for example- he never attacked the opportunity and it showed. Great kid all around but just not an aggressive player in a position that requires it, especially if your role is defense and rebounding.

It’s a perfect example also of how the opportunity that was given to Souare worked out well for him and now he’s part of our portal additions. Not at all refined offensively but plays with a high motor, attacks the rim and defends aggressively using his athleticism.

Just to add, I don’t mean aggressive in the sense they hack at every shot or run around aimlessly. There needs to be some understanding of the game in there but too but if they are low motor and have very little offensive game then it simply isn’t going to workout.

Petar is a guy better suited to play as small school 5 like where he landed. If he had a consistent 3 pt shot his value goes way up but at this point that isn’t the case and without having good measurables and athleticism he’s not going to be more than what he was without having that outside shot working for him.

It's why I loved Kristof and Baye so much when I was a student. They were sparkplugs and you knew when they were in the game.

 

[Cappy3]

yeah exactly

not sure why people thought so highly of Petar...but he really didnt offer enough

not big enough to be a center which was very important if he was going to stay on the roster as a center...and not really dangerous enough on offense as a forward

he did pass well, he played "team basketball" and gave max effort

but his production was very low and not very likely to improve

as far as diawara, he has an incredible wingspan and length that simply cannot be taight...he is athletic and can play basketball...hes not just a tall guy

for me its a no-brainer that I would want him over petar at center...furthermore, im not really sure why people would assume that someone like suare is automatically keeping this guy on the bench

Well, for one thing Soare did start 13 ACC games last year, so experience is clearly on his side.

 

[DomeHolmes]

From his limited highlights it is clear he is big, physical and athletic. That is no guarantee he can play at this level, but no back up center we have had in years has all 3 traits.

Up until now we had no one on the roster who could physically match up with a Lampkin like player. Now we do. (Again no guarantee he can defend, and not foul).

When on offense, I don’t see him playing below the rim like Davis or Petar on put backs.

Great add because he potentially fills a need.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'm actually much more confident in Diawara's development than I was for Petar. You can see the raw talent in his tapes, and some already solid skills that can be refined. Petar seemed like he was maxed out at his talent/athletic level and wasn't going to be much more than he was.

He's more naturally athletic and quicker off his feet. Actually has some post moves. I was a bit surprised.

I thought Petar could have been used differently. We used him on the baseline in the corners, or in the low post. We should have used him as the pick and pop guy instead of Eddie. Petar could make that 17-20 foot shot better than Eddie. Of course, Donnie offers more than either of them at that, but that's how I would have used Petar.

 

[RedtheGOB]

He's more naturally athletic and quicker off his feet. Actually has some post moves. I was a bit surprised.

I thought Petar could have been used differently. We used him on the baseline in the corners, or in the low post. We should have used him as the pick and pop guy instead of Eddie. Petar could make that 17-20 foot shot better than Eddie. Of course, Donnie offers more than either of them at that, but that's how I would have used Petar.

We used Petar when we were getting our butts kicked and it showed. I still remember playing Peter down the stretch of the UNC game and thinking damn we’re playing a true freshman euro kid in crunch time, this is not how it should be.

I think people need to realize that bench players look like heroes when they come in and build on leads that already exist because the starters are playing well. They look like zeroes when the starters have already put themselves in a hole and the coach has to experiment with the bench because nothing is working.

Very rarely do bench guys come in and turn the tide especially freshman.

 

[Dmcnabbrules]

I like this move for practice too. Nice to have a guy this size for our guys to go against. Maybe Rak will be around this summer to show Diawara a few things.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Orangezoo]

Interesting read and quite the praise from the people in his corner ( no surprise there) but some good stuff on why this could be a sneaky good pickup with high upside. Only con is I don’t love the injury history though especially a big man and a previous knee injury. We’ve just dealt with that way too often and with poor outcomes.

 

[Owens guy]

We needed a tall center for this roster with possible upside.

We got a tall center for this roster with possible upside.

Any other analysis positive or negative from YouTube highlights is ridiculous

I agree. Diawara is a lottery ticket but at least he is a ticket with a potential high payout.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I agree. Diawara is a lottery ticket but at least he is a ticket with a potential high payout.

That's exactly the way to look at your end of the bench.

 

[wiCuse]

I'm actually much more confident in Diawara's development than I was for Petar. You can see the raw talent in his tapes, and some already solid skills that can be refined. Petar seemed like he was maxed out at his talent/athletic level and wasn't going to be much more than he was.

I agree, Diawara has a much higher ceiling. However, the portal era doesn't have be excited because it's hard to hold onto most players...

 

[Toga]

Seems like he could be a great rim protector when we put the press on.

 

[Idiocuse22&]

I am not expecting anything unreasonable from this guy...but is he just a project like William Patterson or any other big guys we have had lately?
To me he seems much stronger and much more athletic than those guys.
It might take him half a season or 1.5 but I like his potential more than those other guys and its not even close.

 

[jr4750]

Any reason why he has not been announced on the SU instagram account alongside the other freshman? Clearinghouse issues maybe?

 

[cusefan88]

Any reason why he has not been announced on the SU instagram account alongside the other freshman? Clearinghouse issues maybe?

Almost certainly paperwork I would guess.

 

[bnoro]

Any reason why he has not been announced on the SU instagram account alongside the other freshman? Clearinghouse issues maybe?

Might be joining Summer Session #2 and not on campus yet like the others?

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Gotta be unsettling to be a foreign-born player/student in this era. Hope all is good with his visa, etc.

 

[Ozone!]

Tiefing,

 

[suclass2014]

Any reason why he has not been announced on the SU instagram account alongside the other freshman? Clearinghouse issues maybe?

Syracuse transfers and freshmen, including Kiyan Anthony arrive on campus (photos, video) This article mentions that he plans to arrive in two weeks.

 

[Cuse_NYC]

Anything on his arrival?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

As other Syracuse basketball incoming freshmen engage in summer workouts on the Hill, 2025 three-star verbal commit Tiefing Diawara is spending time this week at the famed Peach Jam.

The 6-foot-11, 240-pound center, who is originally from Mali, verbally pledged to the Orange in late May. However, Diawara has yet to officially sign with Syracuse basketball, which is why he isn't currently listed on cuse.com where the Orange's 2025-26 roster is noted.

On Tuesday, I asked a Syracuse basketball spokesperson when Diawara is expected to sign with the program. The spokesperson says that the 'Cuse can't comment on Diawara because he hasn't yet signed with the Orange. Hopefully, that occurs soon.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

I wonder if he’s hunting for additional offers?