In short order, Joe Gallo has quickly built a reputation as one of the best coaches in the Northeast after the Merrimack Warriors have become one of the most consistent and feared programs in the Northeast Conference.
Caught in the crosshairs of a four-year D1 transition, Merrimack were unable to reap the benefits of winning last year’s conference tournament, but entering their first year of postseason eligibility, Gallo and his staff had to work quickly to offset the loss of long-time starting forwards Jordan Minor and Ziggy Reid, who transferred to Virginia and Youngstown State, respectively.
It is not hyperbole to proclaim that Minor, the Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and Reid, a Second Team All-Conference selection, were the bedrock of Merrimack’s smooth transition to D1 basketball. Since the team’s Northeast Conference debut, the pair rank alone atop the program leaders in total points, rebounds, blocks and minutes played.
In their wake, graduate transfer additions Jacob O’Connell from Princeton and Samba Diallo from Manhattan look to be the best bets to make up Merrimack’s first new starting frontcourt since the start of the 2020-21 season.
With 68 career starts between a pair of seasons at UMass and Manhattan apiece, Samba Diallo is the more seasoned addition out of the pair as he projects to replace Ziggy Reid as Merrimack’s next power forward.
Listed at 6’7 195, Diallo does not match the strength of the 6’6 235 Reid, but his tenacity, athleticism and length will certainly fit in Gallo’s steal-centric and perimeter-smothering zone.
To get a better picture of Diallo’s potential impact at Merrimack, below are highlights from his per-40 minute stats across his two seasons at Manhattan:
10.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 2.4 three point attempts, 25.0 3P%, 4.3 free throw attempts, 73.5 FT%.
On offense, Diallo is a low-usage forward who mostly scores through slashes to the basket, putback shots off offensive turnovers and the occasional three-pointer. Like Reid, Diallo limits turnovers, but he is not expected to be one of the focal points on the offense like Reid was. Instead, it is fair to expect Diallo to become a consistent double-digit scoring threat mostly through his energy, athleticism and the occasional set drawn up for him to get to the basket cleanly.
Diallo’s potential impact on defense is easy to imagine: he’s got the length, tenacity and athleticism to comfortably fit into Gallo’s scheme, generating steals and providing tough, on-ball defense.
With just 138 career minutes across three seasons at Princeton, there is not a ton of game film on the 7’0 245 O’Connell, but the New Jersey native shares one key similarity between former Princeton teammate and stud center Tosan Evbuomwan: passing.
“He’s a really skilled big [...] his passing is one of his biggest strengths and I think an area where he could make a big impact on Merrimack,” shares Princeton Associate Head Coach Brett MacConnell, “He’s a really unselfish teammate and I know will fit their culture well.”
Throughout his time at Merrimack, Jordan Minor developed into one of the best passing bigs in the Northeast Conference, so O’Connell’s shared mindset on offense should help the team transition smoothly into this upcoming year.
Regularly fielding one of the shorter rosters since moving up to D1 play, not only is O’Connell Gallo’s first seven-footer, he is also a full four inches taller than the 6’8 Minor, who was the tallest Warrior over the last four years.
With that size, Gallo will be able to add new wrinkles to the offense that best compliment O’Connell’s skill set:
“He’s got a good back to the basket game, and is also good in pick and rolls - both to the rim and in the short roll - and I know they’ll utilize him there as well, ” adds MacConnell, “he’s gotten much stronger during his time at Princeton and also has been developing his 3-point shot. I’m hopeful he’ll get to show this skill at Merrimack.”
As the two grad transfers will quickly assimilate into lead frontcourt roles for Merrimack, the next wave of frontcourt talent consists of underclassmen Bryan Etumnu, Elliott Black, Christian Foy, Brandon Legris and Edrick Quezada while senior Ryan Isaacson will return to a backup role after missing almost all of last season.
As a whole, Merrimack’s frontcourt will make up one of the freshest units in the conference, but Gallo and his team have proven repeatedly that they are excellent at finding under-heralded talent and then coaching them up to the program’s standard, making this group one of the most exciting to follow this upcoming season.
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