Final Four: Louisville center Gorgui Dieng becomes fluent in hoops Three years ago, Louisville sophomore center Gorgui Dieng couldn't speak English. Last year, he didn't know how the NCAA tournament worked. When Morehead State eliminated Louisville in the first round, Dieng said he asked his coaches, "Why can't we play anymore?" He wasn't kidding. "I had no idea," he said. I didn't know Sweet 16 last year. Honest. Louisville has come a long way to reach its first Final Four since 2005, after finishing seventh in the Big East Conference. The Cardinals play archrival Kentucky on Saturday in a national semifinal in New Orleans. Dieng has come even farther - from Senegal in West Africa. He has grown up in every way conceivable - physically, emotionally, culturally - since arriving in the United States. Dieng will never forget the date - Nov. 28, 2009 - when his journey began at prep school in Huntington, West Virginia. He was 6 feet 10, weighed less than 190 pounds, and was initially the town's tallest agoraphobic. "The first week I would just stay in my room," he explained. I couldn't speak to anybody. I couldn't do anything because I didn't speak one word of English. I'd just look at you, I didn't know what to say. He phoned home every night to a faraway father who encouraged his son not to be a wallflower. "He told me, 'You need to communicate with people so you can pick up the language very quick,'" Dieng said. He said, 'You can't stay in your corner and not talk to anybody.' Gorgui Dieng (pronounced GOR-gee Jeng) immersed himself in a foreign society. He asked questions. How does this work? What does this mean? "Everywhere I go, I want to learn something new," he said. Every day I get up, I want to learn something new. Saturday at the Superdome, Dieng will be the "other" tall, skinny, shot-blocking center in the game. He'll play second bluegrass fiddle to Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis, the national player of the year. Dieng might be able to hold his own. Both players disrupt and intimidate on defense. Davis has been touted for his 7-5 wingspan. Dieng's wingspan is 7-4. Davis has 175 blocked shots; Dieng has 124. Dieng blocked seven shots last Thursday in a West regional semifinal win over Michigan State and surprised everyone when he made his first three-pointer of the year on only his second attempt. He has quickly picked up the culture and the game. After last year's loss, Dieng asked his coaches to explain the history of the NCAA tournament. "Now I know it's six games to get to the national championship," he said. If you don't win, you go home. That's what I know. That's the most important thing. To understand if you don't win you go home. Dieng, who turned 22 in January, is getting better with age. He's bulked up to 235 pounds and his English is so good Coach Rick Pitino jokes he's more fluent than half his American-born players.