Survive. Advance. Eat? NC State’s Mohamed Diarra playing through Ramadan fast
Mohamed Diarra got the signal from Kevin Keatts to leave the game midway through the first half, after playing the first six minutes and change. The timing was no coincidence. It was precisely 7:17 p.m., moments after sunset in Washington.
It was time to eat. Finally.
The lanky French forward sat down on the N.C. State bench. Team nutritionist Jesse McGinley leaned over Diarra’s left shoulder. She handed him a UCAN energy gel, a slow-burning starch-based supplement. Then a banana. Then a cup of water to wash it all down.
It was the first food or drink to cross Diarra’s lips since sunrise. A Muslim, he’s observing Ramadan, fasting from sunrise to sunset since Monday and until April 6, the ACC Tournament no exception during Islam’s holiest month.
It’s hard enough to play college basketball fully fueled and hydrated. Diarra, with only 215 pounds on his 6-foot-10 frame in the best of times, is doing it with the needle completely on empty.
“I think I’m prepared for that,” Diarra said. “It’s not my first time doing it. I ask God for the strength to play and not be too tired. And I think I’m really in good shape.”
He’ll have to go through it all again on Thursday, after N.C. State advanced to face Duke in the first evening quarterfinal with an 83-65 win over a Syracuse team that had beaten the Wolfpack twice. Diarra was a huge part of that, a dominant rebounder against undersized opposition and a surprisingly effective passer.
It was a typically honest game from Diarra, who isn’t flashy but does all the little things well, a player recruited out of the transfer portal to give the Wolfpack the versatility, in Keatts’ words, of “a tight end.” In this one, with 14 rebounds and six assists, it did show up in the box score for once. More than that, Diarra gave the Wolfpack a big spark as N.C. State blew open the game in the second half.
The Wolfpack didn’t just get energy from the one guy on the team playing on an empty stomach. It got inspiration.
“It’s very impressive that he’s able to come out here and not only play, but play really well,” N.C. State guard Michael O’Connell said. “His energy, flying around, blocking shots, getting stops, scoring the ball. Kudos to him for doing that. It’s big time.”
Preparing Diarra to play in this tournament is a team effort among McGinley, the strength and training staff and the coaches, starting even before his 5:30 a.m. breakfast. One of the coaches was responsible for notifying Keatts at sunset, so he could sub Diarra to sit and eat. What Diarra eats and drinks is carefully timed and planned, to make sure his body can absorb it and get him what he needs, especially the electrolytes to avoid cramping — as Diarra is, even under the best circumstances, prone to cramps.
His post-sunset in-game regimen Wednesday included UCAN gels, The Right Stuff electrolyte supplements, crackers, granola bars, water and sports drinks — essentially, as many carbs and as much sodium as he could keep down. This was an improvement over Tuesday’s 4:30 p.m. start, when he couldn’t eat or drink at all, although he wasn’t as far removed from his last meal then, either.
Wednesday’s 7 p.m. start meant he could eat, but not only was that a long way from sunrise, it’s very difficult to fully refuel overnight while fasting during the day. Each successive game is only going to get tougher. N.C. State’s the only team that actually wishes it was playing in the late game every night, for Diarra’s sake.
“The first day, all the adrenaline and all that can push him through,” McGinley said. “The second and third and fourth days are a little tricky, because the glycogen stores are all gone. That was the biggest thing. Today was harder just because of the timing but it was easier because we were able to fuel him during the game.”
Survive. Advance. Eat?
“I don’t know how he does it,” Keatts said. “That says a lot about him as a young man that you can stay true to your religion and your beliefs and still be a part of our team. We completely respect that.”
Diarra played the first 11 minutes of the second half after refueling at halftime, cramp-free. It wasn’t until he came out of the game late that his hamstrings twanged like guitar strings. He watched the final seconds of the victory from his back, getting his legs stretched next to the bench.
He was in pain — “Bad,” Diarra said. “Cramping bad” — but he was smiling.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2024 at 10:51 PM with the headline "Survive. Advance. Eat? NC State’s Mohamed Diarra playing through Ramadan fast."
