Ben Block of the LA Times profiles USC’s freshman cetner Mamadou Diarra, who hails from the West African country of Mali by way of basketball factory Stoneridge Prep of Simi Valley.  The seven-footer can no doubt make an uncontested dunk, but facing Kevin Love (UCLA) or Brook & Robin Lopez (Stanford) will test his underdeveloped defensive skills.

Diarra is trying to have skills catch up with height (LA Times)