West African big man is a high-major target
Click Here to view this video.
For much of the early spring, Idrissa Diallo was sidelined with a fractured elbow. Now, he's rounding into shape as high-major programs show interest.
Advertisement
A 6-foot-11 rising senior at Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral, Diallo hails from Senegal in West Africa. His size and athleticism have earned him plenty of attention.
Over the weekend, he hit the floor at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and felt he held his own.
"For the first two days, I thought I did really well," Diallo told Rivals.com. "Then, just playing so much and still coming back from my injury, I slowed down."
Despite being a little ragged at times, Diallo said, the chance to play at NBPA was too much for him to pass up.
"Not everybody had a chance to be here," Diallo said. "I'm going to take advantage of it and learn the most from it I can before I leave."
A three-star prospect who sits outside of the 2014 Rivals150, Diallo is making a strong case for inclusion. His game is somewhat raw, but his size, athleticism and coordination give him a great base.
He's trying to expand his game.
"I want to be a power forward and not always a center," Diallo said. "I'm working on my dribbling, my ball handling and my shooting."
Having been in the United States for only a few years, Diallo has done a great job of mastering the language. Now he's trying to master a college decision.
Offers have come from UCLA, USC, California and Colorado to go along with interest from Georgetown, Washington State, Virginia Tech and others.
While he doesn't have a timeline for making a choice, Diallo said he would prefer to stay in California. It's been his home since he arrived, and he likes the weather and being around the people who have welcomed him and helped to make his transition to the States as smooth as possible.
During July, Diallo will be back on the floor with his grassroots team, the Compton Magic.
Click Here to view this Link.
[rl]