KC Roos span globe for 5 new international players to help fill out men’s hoops roster
The KC Roos went global with the first group of recruits announced by new men’s basketball coach Marvin Menzies.
Five players — two each from Senegal and Belgium and one from Greece — have signed with UMKC.
Menzies said during his introductory news conference last month that the program will expand its recruiting boundaries. He wasn’t kidding.
“You’ve got to tap into global recruiting, which we will do. Quickly,” Menzies said.
Here are the signees announced by UMKC on Friday:
- Babacar Diallo, a 6-foot-6 guard from Dakar, Senegal, previously played at St. Peter’s and Navarro Junior College. Diallo played on the Sengalesse National Team and participated in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
- Sidy Diallo, a 7-2 center, is originally from Dakar. He played high school basketball last season in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., where he averaged 14.5 points per game.
- Emmanouil Dimou, a 6-4 point guard from Athens, Greece, has plenty of international experience. He’s played for Greek youth national teams since he was 13, and has played for Panathinaikos in the Greek professional league.
- Allen David Mukeba, a 6-7 forward, hails from Charleroi, Belgium. Mikeba averaged 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds for Colby (Kan.) Community College last season. He played prep basketball in California and has played for the Belgian 18-under national team.
- Logan Mukeba Jr., is Allen David Mukeba’s brother. A 6-5 wing who also played for the Belgian under-18 national team, he averaged 12 points at Lee Academy in Maine last season.
This story was originally published May 20, 2022 at 10:41 AM.
Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star