While center DJ Burns has gotten all of the headlines for NC State's run in the NCAA Tournament, his fellow frontcourt mate Mohamed Diarra has made it all possible with his own stellar play for the Wolfpack.
The French forward has elevated his game to an outstanding level throughout NC State's run through the ACC Tournament and the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
He has used his length and athleticism to become an elite rebounder and rim protector, and the range on his jump shot has helped the Wolfpack space the floor and keep defenses honest.
The most impressive part? He's done all this while fasting for Ramadan. As a practicing Muslim, Diarra must go without food and water from sunrise to sunset, and most of NC State's games during this run have come during this time.
"Ramadan Mo" has often been seen scarfing down a banana, ingesting various gels, or chugging water late in second halves as soon as the sun goes down.
That Diarra is playing this well during this run is crazy enough, but that he's largely doing it on an empty stomach and without hydration makes it all the more impressive.
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NCAA Tournament Player Profile: NC State F Mohamed Diarra
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Season Stats: 6.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks per game
Diarra came to NC State as a transfer from Missouri, where he averaged just 3.2 points per game last season. The decision to transfer paid off in a huge way for Diarra, as Missouri went winless in SEC play this season, and he's now starting for a NCAA Tournament Final Four team.
While DJ Burns has been NC State's scoring presence on the interior, nobody in basketball is doing more than Diarra on the glass to help their team aside from Purdue's Zach Edey or UConn's Donovan Clingan.
In the last four games of the Wolfpack's miracle ACC Tournament win, Diarra had 14, 16, 12, and 14 rebounds, giving the offense valuable second chance opportunities and preventing them for their talented opponents.
That success has translated to the NCAA Tournament, where Diarra had 12 rebounds against Texas Tech, 13 against Oakland, and a whopping 15 against Marquette in the Sweet 16.
For NC State to have any chance at all against Purdue, Diarra is going to have to find a way to replicate this performance against the dominant Edey.
He's done it against bigs like Kyle Filipowski and Armando Bacot, so do not count him out on the block when that showdown rolls around on Saturday.
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