Diedhiou admitted to Minnesota, eligible to play for Gophers immediately

Diedhiou admitted to Minnesota, eligible to play for Gophers immediately

Published Dec. 18, 2014 5:45 p.m. ET

MINNEAPOLIS -- Help is on the way for the Gophers men's basketball program.

The team announced Thursday that forward Gaston Diedhiou has been admitted to the university and is eligible to join the Gophers immediately. Diedhiou, a native of Senegal, had to pass an English proficiency exam before he could be admitted to the University of Minnesota, even though he had already been cleared by the NCAA.

A 6-foot-9 forward, Diedhiou will eventually give the Gophers depth at the forward position. It remains to be seen how quickly he will be able to get minutes in a game. Since he was not yet admitted to the school, he hasn't been able to practice with the team.

Before coming to Minnesota, Diedhiou played at the Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain. He was originally denied admission to the University of Minnesota but retook his English proficiency test. On Thursday, the Gophers received the good news they were hoping to hear.

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Minnesota also announced Thursday that it has added walk-on freshman guard Mike Lukashewich to the roster. A native of Appleton, Wis., the 6-3 Lukashewich played his high school basketball for Appleton North High School.

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