Today, UConn Hoops received their fifth commitment of the class of 2023 in big man Youssouf Singare. He currently sits as a three-star recruit by Rivals. The seven-foot center joins Stephon Castle, Solomon Ball, Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross in the class, as the first true center. Singare is the second player from Mali to commit to the Huskies, with the first being Big East POTY frontrunner Adama Sanogo. It remains to be seen if the two will play together, depending on Sanogo’s draft status.
Singare went to high school at Upper Room Christian School in Dix Hills, NY and played AAU ball for New Heights Lightning in the Nike Circuit, adding him to the long list of New Yorkers to don the navy and white.
THE SCOUTING REPORT...
Singare is tall at seven feet, but also super skinny. To give some reference, he weighs about the same as UConn’s smallest scholarship player, Hassan Diarra (6’2’’, 190). If he wants to make a legitimate splash in UConn’s packed frontcourt, he will need to do one or a mix of two things: develop his shooting or get much stronger. Doing one will get him minutes, doing both could make him a star.
The foundation is there for the center. He’s incredibly athletic and has great bounce for his size. He’s able to swat shots at a high rate and can scare smaller players away from trying anything on the inside. He doesn’t move like he’s seven feet tall and can stay with smaller defenders on the perimeter. Singare is also able to make multiple consecutive jumps in a row, helping him become more resistant to pump fakes.
Offensively, his skillset is unremarkable. Singare will throw down athletic dunks and lobs, and can also convert on contested layups. His game outside of the paint will need to be polished a bit more, but there’s no reason to think he can’t get to that next step.
STORRS IMPACT...
His development in this coming year will play a large role in how effective Singare is as he enters UConn. If he is able to put on muscle and develop his game beyond close shots, he could have a rotational spot. If not, there’s a long line of other bigs who will be more than happy to take/keep their minutes.
A good comparison for Singare is Amida Brimah, who holds similar capabilities and has similar size. Singare still has 40 lbs to go before he hits Brimah’s weight, but if you watch their highlights side by side, they’re similar.
A lot of the role early will also depend largely on who is there next year. If Sanogo or Samson Johnson gets drafted, then there will be a lot more space for Singare to operate. If not, fans will not get a good read on him early on…
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