African big men attracting the high-majors

A pair of the top remaining big men in the class of 2006 call Stoneridge Prep home and college coaches from all over the country have been shadowing the team on the tournament trail.

Since blowing up in the summer, center Hamady N'diaye has been a familiar name on recruiting boards. The 6-foot-10 prospect is a defensive specialist that plays with energy from the tip to the final buzzer.

A sprained knee slowed N'diaye down in the home stretch of the season but the injury didn't slow the recruiters down with him though.

N'diaye recently took an official visit to Rutgers while on an East Coast swing with Stoneridge.

Three or four more visits are likely, says Sy. Gonzaga, George Washington, Miami and Pittsburgh are also on the short list with N'diaye.

The recent Rutgers coaching situation won't change things with the four-star big man. Fred Hill, Jr., a current RU assistant and likely replacement for Gary Waters, has been the lead recruiter with N'Diaye anyways.

N'diaye may have more notoriety but Mamadou Diarra may have the most upside of any player at Stoneridge.

The 6-foot-10 forward enjoyed a terrific showing at the National Prep School Invitational in Rhode Island last month. He shot 21 of 25 from the floor in the event and connected on a handful of NBA range three-pointers.

"When Hamady went down in January, Mamadou stepped into his spot and has been playing great ever since," Sy said. "He's been unbelievable."

Diarra is a terrific shooter for a player of his size. He's comfortable 22 feet away from the basket and can obviously shoot over defenses. Still somewhat raw in the post, there is an attraction because of his improvement in such a short time this season. He has been a constant double-double since January.

Luckily enough for Fresno State, the Bulldogs beat the high-major schools to the punch.

"They got in early and built a good relationship, a tremendously good relationship," Sy said.

Fresno State has followed Stoneridge Prep to the East Coast for a couple of trips to see Diarra play this season. So have Baylor, Mississippi State, Rutgers and USC. At least 20 other schools are in the second tier of options, says Sy.

There is a catch with Diarra though. He has not taken the standardized test. The ACT and SAT are on tap for him in April, leaving the possibility of Diarra signing deep into the summer there.

Diarra's native language is French and oftentimes needs a translator to communicate with others. With a French-English dictionary in constant tow, Diarra is spending time in the classroom trying to fine tune his English skills in preparation for the tests.