Hamidou Diallo Cuts List Down to Six
Hamidou Diallo, one of the top players in the Class of 2017, has cut his list of schools down to six.
The Putnam Science Academy guard’s list includes UConn, Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse. Diallo is ranked 10th in the most recent rankings as he finishes his postgraduate year at PSA this season.
Diallo has made unofficial visits to several schools, but there does not appear to be a rush for the 6-foot-4 guard to make a decision.
“No, not at this time,” said PSA coach Tom Espinosa when reached by text Tuesday about when Diallo might select a school.
The Huskies have had several visits from Diallo in recent weeks, including at Sunday’s exhibition game against the University of New Haven at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Diallo’s former PSA teammate and close friend, 6-8 forward Mamadou Diarra, is a freshman on the Huskies this season. Diarra has said multiple times he would love for Diallo to join him at UConn, but noted it was his friend’s decision to make it. Diarra and Diallo attended multiple UConn games together last season.
In the past year, Diallo’s stock has soared as he’s received offers from dozens of major schools across the country. While there have been rumors suggesting Diallo may jump right to the NBA draft next June, all indications seem to be he will go to college for for at least one year.
Diallo would be a huge prize for the Huskies, who are on pace to put together their second straight top-10 recruiting class.
The Huskies slam dunked their Class of 2016 – which ranked ninth overall - with five players ranked in the top 150, led by point guard Alterique Gilbert (34th), forward Juwan Durham (47th), forward Vance Jackson (80th), Diarra (133rd) and guard Christian Vital (145th).
Already, UConn ranks eighth for next year’s class with point guard Makai Ashton-Langford (40th), combo forward Tyler Polley (83rd) and three-star forward/center Josh Carlton all giving verbal commitments in September.
With a firm 2017 foundation in place, coach Kevin Ollie and his staff have been going after two star players in Diallo and 6-foot-11 forward Mohamed Bamba, the 4th-ranked prospect in the country.
While both players have been rumored to be “one-and-done” players, that hasn’t curbed the Huskies' interest in either one. Ollie has yet to have a freshman come in for only one season and leave for the NBA.
Bamba, who made an unofficial visit to UConn over the summer, and Diallo both played on the U-18 United States national team and won gold medals at the 2016 FIBA Americas Championship held in July in Valdivia, Chile. Ollie was an assistant coach on the that team, which was led by Texas coach Shaka Smart.