We bring you last week's top performances from Malians who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.
#1. This week's number one is an international forward
Sagaba Konate (203-97, college:
WVU, currently plays in Italy). He managed to help Allianz Pallacanestro Trieste in a victory against the league outsider Brescia (0-3)
80-72 in the Italian Serie A in Sunday night's game.
Konate scored only 4 points, had 8 rebounds and made 2 blocks in 23 minutes on the court.
Allianz Pallacanestro Triesteis placed in the Serie A.
This year Konate averages: 9.5ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.5bpg, 2FGP: 61.5% in two games he played so far.
He played for the Mali senior national team one years ago.
#2. Second place goes to an international power forward
Nianta Diarra (201-93, currently plays in France). Diarra could not help
Cholet Basket (4-0) to beat Entente Orleans 45 (1-1).
He scored 7 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
The league leader Cholet Basket was defeated
88-81 on the road by the much lower-ranked Entente Orleans 45 (#10).
But this is still an early stage of the season and everything may happen.
Diarra's overall stats this year are: 5.7ppg, 6.3rpg, 2FGP: 53.8% and FT: 37.5%.
He has a dual citizenship: Mali and French.
Diarra is in the roster of the Mali senior national team.
#3. The Mali player who performed third best last week abroad was an experienced former international forward
Amara Sy (202-81, agency:
BeoBasket, currently plays in France). He was not able to help
Paris in their game against Chorale de Roanne (1-2) in the French Betclic ELITE ProA.
Sy scored 7 points.
Paris was edged
98-97 at home by the much lower-ranked Chorale de Roanne (#14).
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
This season Sy averages only 4.0ppg, 2FGP: 33.3% and FT: 75.0%.
He is another player who holds two passports: Mali and French.
Sy played for the Mali national team ten years ago.
#4. Point guard
Ibrahima Sidibe (180-95, currently plays in France) was not able to secure a victory for
Orchesien BC (3-2) in their game against SO Maritime Boulogne (3-1) in the French NM1 (third division). He did not have that impressive stats last Tuesday.
Sidibe recorded only 3 points in 14 minutes.
The sixth-placed Orchesien BC (3-2) was edged
73-71 in Boulogne-sur-Mer by the second-ranked SO Maritime Boulogne in the Group B.
They ended the series of three consecutive victories.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
It's Sidibe's first year with the team.
This season his overall stats are: 4.8ppg, 2.0rpg and 1.4apg in five games.
Similarly like Sy and Diarra above Sidibe has both Mali and French nationalities.
He used to play for the Mali national team
back in 2019.
#5. Former international center
Moustapha Diarra (205-87, college:
USF, currently plays in France) was the major contributor in
Andrezieux's victory against the 14th-ranked GET Vosges (0-3)
85-78 in the French NM1 (third division) on Tuesday night.
Diarra recorded 15 points and added 4 passes.
in Group B. Andrezieux Boutheon Loire Sud Basket (3-1) is placed fourth in Group B.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
It's Diarra's first year with the team.
He has relatively good stats this season: 12.0ppg, 3.8rpg and 2.0apg.
Similarly like three previous players above, Diarra also holds two passports: Mali and French.
He used to play for the Mali national team
three years ago.
#6. Swingman
Mamadou Sy (194-85, college:
Cloud County, currently plays in France) couldn't help
Pontoise in their game against JSA Bordeaux (1-3) in the French NM1 (third division). Sy cannot count it as his best performance.
He scored only 3 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 18 minutes.
Pontoise (#4) lost
78-82 in Bordeaux to the much lower-ranked (#12) JSA Bordeaux in the Group A.
This year Sy's total stats are: 3.0ppg and 4.0rpg in two games.
He is a former international player as he played for the Mali senior team three years ago.
#7. International forward
Ibrahim Djambo (209-92, college:
Hofstra, currently plays in France) couldn't help
Lorient (2-3) in their last game on Tuesday. Despite Djambo's good performance Lorient (#4) was defeated
83-70 in Cergy by the lower-ranked Pontoise (#6) in the Group A.
He was the second best scorer with 14 points. Djambo also added 5 rebounds.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
It's Djambo's first year with the team.
This season he has relatively solid stats: 12.0ppg and 5.5rpg.
Djambo holds both American and Mali passports.
He is also Mali national team player.
#8. Power forward
Baba Samake (202-94, currently plays in France) couldn't help
Dax-Gamarde (1-2) in their game against Poitiers (2-2) in the French NM1 (third division).
Samake scored 9 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 34 minutes.
But Dax-Gamarde (#10) was crushed
89-58 on the opponent's court by the higher-ranked (#7) Poitiers in the Group A.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
Samake has averaged so far 9.7ppg, 8.0rpg and 1.7spg in three games.
He used to play for the Mali national team
back in 2017.
#9. Former international guard
Ludovic Chelle (186-83, currently plays in France) contributed to
SOPCC's victory against the 14th-ranked GET Vosges (0-3)
66-54 in the French NM1 (third division) in Friday night's game.
Chelle scored 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.
in Group B. SO Pont de Cheruy Charvieu Chavanoz (1-3) is placed 12th.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
Chelle has averaged so far 5.5ppg, 2.5rpg and 1.3apg.
Despite he played previously for the French U20 national team, Chelle is currently in the Mali national team roster.
#10. Point guard
Ibrahim Saounera (179-87, currently plays in France) is a teammate of previously mentioned Ibrahim Djambo. But that was another game of his team in French NM1 which we would like to mention.
Saounera couldn't help
Lorient (2-3) in their last game. Despite his good performance Lorient (#4) was edged
73-71 on their home court in Lorient by the leading Etoile Angers in the Group A.
Saounera was the second best scorer with 11 points. He also added 4 rebounds in 20 minutes.
Saounera is one of the most experienced players in a team as it's his fourth year in Lorient's roster.
Saounera has averaged so far 7.8ppg, 3.5rpg and 2.0apg in four games.
He is an international player who is currently on the senior Mali National Team roster.
#11. Former international center
Cheick Soumaoro (205-90, currently plays in France) is a teammate of previously mentioned Ludovic Chelle. However that was another game of his team in French NM1 which brought him to that list.
Soumaoro couldn't help
SOPCC in their game against C'Chartres.
He recorded only 4 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
His team was crushed by 24 points
83-59.
Soumaoro has averaged so far 4.8ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.5apg, 1.3bpg and 1.3spg.
He used to play for the Mali national team
three years ago.
The list of other players, who all have Mali passport but never been selected to any of Mali national teams: #1. Experienced
Bassala Bagayoko (208-C-6, currently plays in Spain). He could not help
Fuenlabrada (1-4) to beat Burgos (3-2). It was not Bagayoko's best game last Saturday.
He scored only one point in 16 minutes.
Fuenlabrada lost
91-96 at home to the higher-ranked (#10) Burgos.
But the season just started, so everything may happen.
This year Bagayoko's overall stats are: 2.0ppg and 4.2rpg in five games he played so far.
#2. Lassena Fofana (5, currently plays in Spain) was not able to help
Torta del Casar in their game against Huelva CD (2-0) in the Spanish EBA (fourth division). Fofana cannot count Saturday's game as one of the best ones.
He recorded only one point and grabbed 5 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Torta del Casar (#4) was crushed
79-49 on the road by the higher-ranked (#3) Huelva CD in the Group D-B.
But the season is still in its first stage and everything can happen.
Fofana has averaged so far 2.5ppg and 9.5rpg in two games.
