Western Kentucky Hilltoppers forward Moustapha Diagne (12) shoots during WKU's 62-56 loss to Old Dominion on Saturday, March 16, 2019, at The Star in Frisco, Texas. (Austin Anthony/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Western Kentucky forward Moustapha Diagne was named Wednesday as one of 14 recipients of the C-USA Winter Spirit of Service Award.

The C-USA Spirit of Service Award is designed to recognize the community service efforts of the league’s student-athletes, based upon significant public service, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport. The award is presented three times throughout the season, with Wednesday’s honorees representing men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, rifle and men’s and women’s swimming.

This is the third straight year that WKU’s Winter Spirit of Service honoree has come from men’s basketball.

Diagne – a 6-foot-9 native of Rufisque, Senegal – has been a leader for the Hilltoppers in community service this year, including a cultural-exchange trip to Belize last summer with the sports mission group Sports Reach.

On the trip, Diagne and others played basketball games, led basketball clinics for local children and visited children’s homes and churches.

This school year Diagne has also welcomed and played with campers with developmental disabilities from city program Camp Happy Days twice, donated school supplies to the local Stuff the Bus supply drive, volunteered with area children at the United Way Day of Caring and ran stations to teach basketball to children at the Center for Courageous Kids’ weekend retreat for those with debilitating asthma.

He has also been a representative for the program during area grade schools’ field trips to campus and the arena.

Diagne is on track to graduate with a year of playing eligibility remaining and plans to begin pursuing his master’s degree.

He appeared in 13 games for WKU in 2018-19, including the final seven games of the season while proving to be one of the team’s best vocal leaders throughout the year.

Diagne averaged 9.4 minutes per game during that final stretch as a key reserve off the bench. He also averaged 1.4 rebounds per game.