Two years ago, Mo Diassana’s rookie season came to an abrupt end just as it was getting started. The 6-foot-10 big man saw his UAAP Season 87 campaign cut short after tearing his ACL in the first five minutes of National University’s season opener.
After spending the following year recovering and growing both on and off the court, Diassana is back, playing what head coach Jeff Napa has dubbed the 23-year-old’s true rookie season.
Going through an injury of that magnitude, however, is one of the hardest challenges an athlete can endure. Diassana opened up about the personal struggles he faced during his recovery.
“I worked a lot on myself, like personally, mentally, and physically, for sure. You go through a lot, so you’ll think a lot of questions like life, those kinds of things,” he said.
While UAAP Season 89 has already offered glimpses of what the Bulldogs can accomplish with Diassana as their foreign student-athlete, the Malian center is hardly a stranger to his teammates.
“I’ve been here almost four years now; I’ve been playing with the same guys. So, we’re close outside the court, and we are close inside the court. Those things are really important for our connection,” Diassana added.
That familiarity has translated well on the floor, particularly in NU’s 85-66 victory over Adamson University at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Wednesday. Diassana finished with 15 points on seven-of-eight shooting from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds to record a double-double for the Bulldogs.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
Beyond his contributions on the stat sheet, however, Napa has been preparing Diassana to take on another important responsibility: becoming a leader.
“Mo is a big factor talaga for us. Definitely every game, nag-iimprove ‘yung game niya,” Napa said.
“We just have to be patient kasi mediyo matagal ‘yung naging layoff niya. But I’m very confident naman sa kanya kung ano capabilities niya,” he added.
The veteran tactician revealed that he had discussed Diassana’s role within the team during NU’s practice on Tuesday. He also emphasized the importance of preparing him for greater leadership responsibilities.
With PJ Palacielo and Kenshin Padrones playing their final season, Napa has also taken on the task of preparing the next generation of Bulldogs to step up and fill the leadership void.
“Yesterday, I was just explaining to him kung ano role niya sa team, kung bakit napaka-importante talaga kung ano pwede niyang gawin,” the 45-year-old coach explained.
“Kasi kahit papaano, sooner or later siya rin isa sa magiging leader ng team na ‘to. Kaya ngayon pa lang, yun yung binubuild ko sa kanya: to become a great leader talaga.”
While Napa praised Diassana for setting a good example for his teammates, particularly the rookies, the big man has embraced the responsibility as part of his role on the team. Whether NU needs him to lead, battle in the paint, or provide a physical presence, Diassana is ready to do whatever it takes to help the Bulldogs succeed.
After all, that is exactly why he brought his talents to Jhocson Street.
“I wanna do whatever it takes to help them win, to get the championship. That’s what I’m here for.”
