Dominique Diomande will join Danny Sprinkle's program in January.
Well before the emergence of Gonzaga and its roster often heavy on overseas talent, University of Washington basketball relied on imported players, especially big men from Germany, even Icelandic post players.
The late Marv Harshman made this approach work to his benefit by building his Montlake teams around the likes of Detlef Schrempf, Christian Welp and Petur Gudmundsson, each of whom ended up in the NBA.
It appears first-year coach Danny Sprinkle finds this talent source mandatory, as well.
On Saturday, the UW announced the signing of 6-foot-7 forward Dominique Diomande, 19, currently a Frenchman with an African connection who will join the Huskies in January as a true freshman with four years of eligibility, according to a school spokesperson. He had committed to the UW in July.
Whether or not Diomande plays right away still depends on Sprinkle's coaching staff determining whether this player can help right away as such a late arrival or will redshirt. Plus, he's working through procedural issues such as meeting academic requirements and obtaining a visa.
"We are very excited to welcome Dom into our Husky basketball family and the University of Washington," Sprinkle said in a release.
Diomande comes with a weighty basketball reputation. Though apparently not eligible for the NBA Draft until 2027, he has been projected to be a top-50 pick by DraftExpress.com and was named one of 11 "Under the Radar Freshmen with NBA Potential" by NBADraftRoom.com.
The immediate availability of Diomande would give the UW three international players up front, putting him alongside 6-foot-8 senior Great Osobor, the team's leading scorer (14 points per game) and rebounder (8.6) who hails England, and 6-foot-11 senior Franck Kepnang from Cameroon in Africa, now trying to come back from an injury.
For the 2025-26 season, the Huskies look to have two Frenchmen side by side, with Diomande teaming with 6-foot-11 Mady Traore, who has signed with Sprinkle's staff and currently plays for a Texas junior college after previously spending seasons at Maryland and New Mexico State. Add to them the 6-foot-10 Serbian-American Niko Bundalo, an incoming freshman for next season.
Diomande played in 26 games during the 2023-24 season for ADA Blois of the France-ProA U21 league, averaging 16 points per game and shooting 51.9 percent from the field, per EuroBasket. He also averaged 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Additionally, Diomande appeared in 14 games for Blois senior team, which plays in Betclic Élite, the top league in France.
Originally from the Ivory Coast, Diomande has competed internationally for the African Nation. In five games at the 2021 FIBA U16 African Championships, he averaged 21.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. He also played in three games for the Ivory Coast's senior team during 2023 FIBA World Cup qualification.
Interviewed for a YouTube segment in November 2023, Diomande confirmed he was most interested in pursuing college basketball as a means for getting to the NBA.
"It's still an option, for sure," he said. "I just want to make it to the league, whatever way I have to take it."
One thing that has to happen is the Huskies need to find a scholarship for Diomande and they're already at the 13-player limit, though Oakland transfer forward Chris Conway is out for the season with knee issues.