Zoom Diallo isn’t the type of prospect that factors in how playing in certain events could potentially affect his five-star status.
On the contrary, Diallo seeks out the best competition whenever he can control it.
“I don’t duck people,” Diallo said. “I want to play them.”
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To that end, Diallo chose to play in the Who Wants The Smoke event in Dallas earlier this month, a tournament which is known for bringing in the country’s top talent regardless of shoe affiliation.
“I play on the adidas circuit, so I wanted to play against the best guys on the other circuits too,” Diallo said. “One thing about me; growing up I played against my brothers and I was always challenged. I feel like that brings out the best in you. Guys don’t like competition because they don’t want to get outplayed, but I want to get better. The only rankings that really matter are the NBA Draft rankings anyway."
Diallo used the same logic when he decided to transfer from Curtis (University Place, Wash.) to national hoops powerhouse Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.).
This past season, Diallo led the Vikings to a second consecutive Class 4A state championship, averaging 20 points, six rebounds and six assists a game.
“I just love the idea of better competition more consistently,” Diallo said. “I feel like I wanted to use this last year to really separate myself and continue to get better going into my freshmen year. I know I’ll do that there.”
The positioning among college coaches to have Diallo showcase his talents and mindset on their respective campuses has been intense.
Originally, Diallo was set on a top six of Washington, Gonzaga, Arizona, Florida State, Kansas and USC, but he’s since replaced Kansas and Florida State with Texas and Kentucky.
The Longhorns and the Wildcats have yet to offer the 6-foot-4 point guard.
“At the end of the day, it’s not a final list,” Diallo said. “These are the ones I’d say are recruiting me the most and the ones I’m mostly focused on right now, but my recruitment is still open.”
Diallo has already taken officials to Florida State, Arizona and Gonzaga; he was supposed to visit USC soon, but that’s in the process of being rescheduled now.
As summer approaches, sales pitches continue to intensify and staffs are making lasting impressions on Diallo with comparisons to past college greats.
“One that stuck out to me was when coach (Mark) Few and the staff there at Gonzaga told me that I remind them of Jalen Suggs,” Diallo said. “That was big because of what he did in his first year. Other schools talk to me about coming in and being the guy. They come with a lot of different stuff.”
It’s not just the coaches, Diallo regularly fields sales pitches from his peers as well.
“Carter Bryant has been on me heavy,” Diallo said of the Arizona commit. “He’s a great player, so it’s something to think about. There’s a part of me that wants to stay on the west coast, but that won’t be a part of my decision. I’m gonna make the best decision, period; so the coast doesn’t really matter.”
As Diallo mulls over the who his thought process about the when is starting to formulate as well.
“I would like to have this all done before my senior year starts,” Diallo said. “I want to be able to just focus on my new team and winning and getting better. Ultimately, I want to be somewhere that lets me play through mistakes and a place that gets out in transition. I like a lot of NBA sets, like playing off ball-screens and a system that allows me to make plays and be a leader. I’m taking my time with this process to make sure I’m making the right decision.”
