NCAA Basketball: Freshmen on the rise in 2018-19 (Week 1)

Lamine Diane, Cal. State Northridge

The Cal-State Northridge Matadors are off to a 0-2 start but redshirt freshman Lamine Diane hasn’t let it slow him down too much. The 6-foot-7 forward put up 34 points on 15-of-28 shooting from the floor in a tough 87-84 loss to the New Mexico Lobos in their season opener on Nov. 6. He could be an impact player to watch when Big West play arrives.

He had a bit tougher outing in their second game on the road against the Loyola Marymount Lions. In that game on Tuesday night, he was 7-of-18 from the floor with 15 points but still racked up eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks in a 79-64 loss.

A former Findlay Prep standout, Diane got his bearings together by sitting out last season and getting a year of experience under his belt, redshirting the 2017-18 season. It’s paid off so far as he’s averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per contest through his first two contests.

He’s been one guy the Matadors have leaned upon heavily as the new season begins. He’s the team’s current leader in scoring just ahead of last year’s Big West Freshman of the Year, Terell Gomez. Look’s like Cal. State Northridge has another Freshman of the Year case on its hands in 2018-19.