UConn Athletic Communications / May 29, 2022
STORRS, Conn. – Three years ago, the basketball that was Mamadou Diarra's world suddenly deflated.
His life plan -- which included, like most high-level college basketball players, a sparkling college career, leading to a chance at the NBA, or at worst, professional basketball overseas – had been crushed by a chronic knee condition among other injuries that ended his playing days much too early.
The difficult decision to stop playing clearly left Diarra at a low point.
"At the time, making the decision to stop playing, it seemed like my world was crashing down," Diarra said.
Flash forward three years, to Monday, May 9, when Diarra, with his parents, Kadija Kone and Fousseny Diarra, watching from the seats in Gampel Pavilion, walked across the floor to accept his master's degree in Sport Management.
Basketball world intact. Dream fully rekindled.
"Coming into college, I never imagined receiving a master's degree," Diarra said. "I'm a first generation American. My parents came over (from Mali and Senegal) so my brothers and sisters and I could have a better opportunity and just to see their faces when I walked across to get my master's degree was really special. Looking back on it now, when I decided to stop playing, it was probably the best decision I've ever made.
"Like everybody, I thought I would be here two or three years and then go (to the NBA), but God had a different plan for me and I'm so fortunate that it worked out this way."
The fortunate part was that Diarra was at UConn, where Coach Dan Hurley and his staff welcomed Diarra, first as a student assistant coach and then as a grad assistant. The rest was all up to Diarra, his work ethic and the importance of education that was instilled in him by his parents.
"I started playing basketball very early and my parents let me know that if you want to keep playing basketball, you have to keep those grades up," he said. "I was fortunate that they did that for me. There have been times when I did struggle at school, but my patents never let slip to the point of no return."
Being a grad assistant at UConn is a fulltime commitment, to say the least, with practice preparation, daily practice, post-practice responsibilities, games, travel, taking care of the players' needs, taking care of the coaches' needs, and accomplishing all the tasks necessary to run a high-level basketball program. Now, add in the demands of a graduate program and all the work that goes with it.
Ask Diarra, and he will downplay his effort.
"Like anything, it took some work," he said. "But I really enjoyed the graduate program because it is more focused on the work that you want to do. They are very understanding in the sense that they know that a lot of the people in the program have jobs as well. It's a two-year program, so I didn't have to take a bunch of classes like I did as an undergrad.
"But the work was straightforward and most of the time, they gave you dates, where you had enough time to get it done over a long period of time. It's not like you had to turn around assignments that same day. I learned a lot."
Victoria Simonoff, of UConn's Student-Athlete Success Program and Diarra's academic counselor, explains there was a lot more to it.
"It was really as if Mamadou had two fulltime jobs," Simonoff said. "Being a GA is pretty much 24-7-365, while also having to maintain high grades in high-level graduate school work. But Mamadou has always had a thirst for knowledge and he knows how to integrate what he learns in the classroom with real life experiences and what he wants to do with his future. We all know his future plans changed over these past years, but he's the very definition of 'one door closes, another door opens.'
"He's very much a success story. From where he was, to where he is now, it's been a beautiful transformation to watch. He's a special person."
Diarra likes to think he has had three educations – his undergraduate degree in Urban and Community Studies, his master's degree in Sport Management, and his education in the workings of college basketball.
"That was a shock for me because as a player, you really don't know what goes into it," he said. "As a grad assistant, you do a lot of the legwork in the operations of the program. Every component of the program, you're a part of. It was a lot different than I thought. It was truly a shock to begin with and I had to get past that. Once I did, I figured out where I could bring value to the program. It's been an amazing experience."
Armed with all he has achieved over the past three years, Diarra is well-equipped for whatever comes next. He's sure it will have something to do with the game he loves.
"When people ask me about my situation, I say 'The ball is going to stop bouncing eventually and there's so much more life after that,' Diarra said. "Basketball has always been my world and just because I'm not bouncing the ball myself, doesn't mean I can't be a part of it. That's what I see coaching is for me. Just being able to be like a big brother to the players has meant a lot to me. I've really enjoyed it and I want it to continue. I still want to chase the dream."
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