Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

1. Lamine Diane

A 6’7 from Senegal, Diane attended prep school in Nevada before eventually deciding upon Cal State Northridge, redshirting his first season due to an injury and development. When he got on the court for the Matadors, Diane immediately was a spotlight player, establishing himself as the best big in the Big West and probably one of the best frontcourt pieces the league has seen in recent memory.

As a freshman, he averaged 24.8 points and 11.2 rebounds and was an absolute monster for the Matadors, becoming a heavily-utilized weapon in Mark Gottfried’s offense. He had 32 points and 18 rebounds early in his career at Washington State and would have several more 30-point games later in conference play. Academically ineligible early in his sophomore season, he put up impressive numbers when he got back on the court in late December, averaging 25.6 points and 10.2 rebounds across 19 games before the pandemic ended the season.

Diane was named Big West Player of the Year for both of those seasons and likely would’ve been the top scorer and rebounder in both as well had he not missed that time as a sophomore. His raw figures are incredible, with 1304 points, 562 rebounds, and 110 blocks in just 52 career games. It’s already crazy impressive to win Player of the Year honors as an underclassman, but Diane did it twice, developing into a massive force for the Matadors and leaving quite a legacy in the Big West.