Louisville vs. Michigan: Gorgui Dieng Boosts NBA Draft Stock with Big Game

Louisville center Gorgui Dieng was already a potential first-round pick in the 2013 NBA draft before his pivotal performance in the national championship game against Michigan.

His showing against the Wolverines should make him a sure-fire first-rounder if he declares for the draft.

We already knew the 6'11", 245-pound big man was an excellent rebounder and shot-blocker, as well as an adept passer for his position. He solidified that in the national championship game, posting eight rebounds, three blocks and six assists against the Wolverines. His five offensive rebounds were particularly critical in a game where the Cardinals allowed the Wolverines to shoot 52 percent from the floor.

But it's not just Dieng's defensive presence, rebounding or passing skills. What is elevating him in my mind is the fact that he's shown he's coming around offensively. He became a solid scorer for Louisville this season after being very raw offensively to start the 2012-13 campaign.

He scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting in the national title game. That included two consecutive buckets for the Cardinals in the final five minutes, showing off a surprising old-school hook shot in the process.

Tommy Tomlinson of SportsOnEarth.com wrote on April 4, "On offense, he used to get all his points on tips and dunks. But now he has a soft 15-footer that Louisville uses as a Plan B in case their slashes to the basket don't work."

Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino said, via Tomlinson's piece, "Everything he does, he doesn't believe in being good. He wants to be great at it."

A lot of credit was given to Luke Hancock and Peyton Siva in Louisville's win (and for good reason), but when you look at the entire game, the real difference was that Louisville posted 15 offensive rebounds. Dieng was certainly a big part of that. He also hit some big shots.

There are plenty of NBA teams looking for backup centers. Who knows, the 23-year-old could become a starter one day the way he's developing. He already has the size, defensive ability and passing skills to make an impact in the pros.