The Dunn School in Los Olivos has an enrollment of 250 kids according to their website so to find that their starting five on the basketball court features two 6’9 brothers with a lot of talent, it turns heads.
Latif and Seal Diouf are brothers from the Netherlands that play for the Dunn School and thanks to their big frames and big time play on the court, they attract all the attention from other teams.
“I think they've set the bar, you know that we'll play anybody anywhere,“ Head Coach Ray Vazquez said.
“Competing is the best to me," junior Seal Diouf explained. "That's what I try and do every day, give my best against the best out there.”
The brothers came to the states following in the footsteps of their older brother, Massal, who now plays college basketball at University of Texas San Antonio. Massal went to the Athenian School in the Bay Area. The Director of Teaching and Learning at the time was Kalyan Balaven, who ended up becoming the headmaster at the Dunn School in 2021. From there, the dream of coming over to the United States became more of a reality.
With the move, they were able to hit the ground running playing an American style of basketball that suits their individual play.
“I hit the ground running," senior Latif Diouf recalled. "It's my favorite style of basketball...it's not as in-depth as European basketball, which makes it easier to understand for everyone.“
The move also allowed for the brothers to play together, something Seal Diouf isn’t taking for granted knowing that it’s last year playing with his older brother Latif before he moves on to Division I basketball at University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
“Obviously, I was really excited getting to play with my brother. Every day is a blessing."
In his senior season, Latif is doing all he can to prepare for the next level by taking advantage of the opportunity to the focal point of a team after winning Most Valuable Player of the Tri-Valley league last season.
“For Latif, his dribbling has improved," Vazquez said. "He's a point forward. He brings the ball up 90% of the time against kids that are harassing him constantly. “
“I'm excited for. I'm ready for it," Latif explained of getting ready for the next level. "Obviously, you got to get more ready because it's my first time playing there.”
With similar dreams of playing at the highest level possible, the duo play not only for themselves and for the name on the front of their jerseys but everyone that has supported them through their basketball journeys including their family back home in Gouda, Netherlands.
“I got accepted in new community here," Seal stated. "It only gave me more motivation and more reason to play even harder because I got more people behind me now and more people that supported me.”
“I definitely care a lot about the people that brought me here, the people that helped me get here and they are the most important ones in my life right now,“ Latif added.
Both brothers have international experience playing as a member of the Netherlands 18U National Team. The Dunn School is 6-6 as they prepare for the Tri-Valley league slate beginning in January.
