5-Star PF Moustapha Diop Commits to Georgia Tech over Alabama, Auburn, More

The Georgia Tech men's basketball team landed a major recruiting victory Wednesday when big man Moustapha Diop chose the Yellow Jackets:

The 6'10" power forward is the No. 14 overall player and No. 4 player at his position in the 2026 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Missouri were also listed as schools of interest, so Georgia Tech outmaneuvered a number of SEC schools for the prospect from Atlanta.

"I've been around the campus a lot, working out there, watching their practices every now and then and I feel that I fit in well with the campus and the basketball program," Diop told Eric Bossi of 247Sports. "It's a great basketball program and I believe they will be one of the top programs in the country. I already believe they are one of them because I feel like the program is in good hands with Damon Stoudamire."

This is Stoudamire's second season as the head coach, and he has a rebuilding project ahead of him considering Georgia Tech has been to the NCAA tournament one time since the 2009-10 campaign.

But that rebuilding process will go much quicker if the former point guard who won the 1995-96 NBA Rookie of the Year on the Toronto Raptors establishes success like this on the recruiting trail.

"He was a great player before he was a coach and he has a lot of experience being around NBA locker rooms," Diop said of his future collegiate coach. "He has good experience coaching and I have a good relationship with him. Since he's come to Georgia Tech, I've been around him a lot, we've talked a lot and he's given me a lot of advice. He believes in me and I believe he can really help me get to where I want to go in the future."

The first thing that stands out about Diop's game is his ability to impact the outcome on the defensive level.

He can protect the rim, control the boards and handle himself accordingly when switched onto a ball-handler or perimeter player in pick-and-roll situations. His overall athleticism allows him to cover plenty of ground and anchor the interior defense.

It also allows him to get out in transition as an offensive threat.

While Diop is the first commit in Georgia Tech's 2026 class, Stoudamire is putting a solid foundation in place with a 2025 class that features four prospects at different positions and is ranked No. 27 in the nation, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Combining that group with Diop's sky-high potential and future 2026 commits could make the Yellow Jackets quite the threat in the ACC in future seasons.