WCC Basketball: Breakout candidates from each team for 2020-21 season

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: A logo for the West Coast Conference basketball tournament is shown on the court before the championship game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 23: Tahirou Diabate /

WCC Basketball breakout candidate – Tahirou Diabate (Portland)

It was a rough season for head coach Terry Porter and the Portland Pilots last season, having won just nine games and going 1-15 in the West Coast Conference. Leading scorer Isaiah White has graduated and Malcolm Porter who averaged 9.5 points decided to transfer. Guard JoJo Walker and his 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists do return, as does a guy that could have his best season as a member of the Pilots, senior Tahirou Diabate. The forward should be one of the building blocks for Portland to rely on next season.

Diabate is a native of Mali but spent his formative years all over the globe, including high school in Japan. Since arriving on campus, he has been a part of the Pilots’ rotation, starting 39 games over his first two seasons and as a junior, he started all 31 games he played in and averaged 9.6 points and his 5.1 boards were second on the team.

Over the last 11 games of his season, Diabate stepped up offensively, averaging over 14 points per game, while also seeing an uptick in his rebounding and with White gone, there is an opportunity for Diabate to make his final season in Portland his best one.