2025 Recruiting: Badara Diakite Offer

[Mister P]

Both Rivals and On3 report that UConn offered Diakite yesterday.
His ranking has dropped considerably this past year.
Does the staff see this as an opportunity to get someone with a lot of potential and to possibly fill a position or is it a move to put pressure on another recruit to commit ?
Bundalo is the obvious first choice for a forward commit.

Badara Diakite 2025 Center

Badara Diakite - 2025 4 Star Center for South Kent (South Kent, CT) on Rivals.com

n.rivals.com

 

[RuffRuff]

Like it - with the added roster spots, fill in with a developmental big that has upside ala Youssef.

I don’t see this as a pressure move, I see it as fill a scholly with a kid you can develop move. I see no impact on the other recruits at all, in particular Bundalo. Bundalo is every bit a non traditional stretch 4. He will be a 4 that spaces the floor and takes 3s. I have to think he is high chance to come because few staffs will know how to use him to his max, as totally fits the euro ball mold.

 

[JerseyAlum]

Local kid - likely more a 4 than a 5 but depends on what we see -he was #16 as of June 2023 but has fallen considerably. Seems like him an Sanogo (both from Mali) have met and probably why we offered him. Still very raw, so more of a project.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Any idea why he has dropped? He was being hyped.

 

[husky429]

Any idea why he has dropped? He was being hyped.

His performance hasn't been good. Being ranked 120 composite is generous right now. His rate of improvement isn't close to his peers. Stopped growing too. He's still a high-major D1 player, but not the top-50 talent we saw his sophomore year.

I kind of doubt the offer is real. Or, if it is, it's highly contingent on no/low playing time.

 

[NJHusky]

Why no take a chance on a player with upside as long as he understands the situation…that he won’t play for a year or 2.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Why no take a chance on a player with upside as long as he understands the situation…that he won’t play for a year or 2.

Rather have Toure in 2026.

 

[NJHusky]

Rather have Toure in 2026.

We can take both. High level guys want to play, We currently have an open spot and schollys are going to 15

 

[boog204]

We can take both. High level guys want to play, We currently have an open spot and schollys are going to 15

Yes, but what type of player do you think is going to sign on to be scholly 13, 14, and 15? I'd really doubt any high major D1 guy is going to sign on to not play.

 

[Mooch82]

Are we sure this is accurate? Seems like an odd offer at this stage of the game.

 

[ec33]

Yes, but what type of player do you think is going to sign on to be scholly 13, 14, and 15? I'd really doubt any high major D1 guy is going to sign on to not play.

The kind that realizes he needs to develop and that UConn is good at developing players?

If he doesn't become a UConn-level player, he could always take that development and transfer to a more appropriate school.

 

[boog204]

The kind that realizes he needs to develop and that UConn is good at developing players?

If he doesn't become a UConn-level player, he could always take that development and transfer to a more appropriate school.

Yep… or the same player could go to UMass or Penn St or somewhere, prb make more in NIL, play, and then bounce up. I just don’t think a high D1 guy is going to go with the mentality of sitting to develop vs playing.

 

[boog204]

The kind that realizes he needs to develop and that UConn is good at developing players?

If he doesn't become a UConn-level player, he could always take that development and transfer to a more appropriate school.

My point is the above poster made it sound like with 15 schollys we can just take every high major
Guy we recruit.Those scholarships, if we even fill them, would be flyers on projects not high major guys.

 

[ec33]

Yep… or the same player could go to UMass or Penn St or somewhere, prb make more in NIL, play, and then bounce up. I just don’t think a high D1 guy is going to go with the mentality of sitting to develop vs playing.

But that little big more NIL at UMass stays at that level after not developing. Going to UConn and developing into a quality player could lead to not only more NIL money down the line, but also professional basketball down the line.

Plus as a Connecticut kid, it isn't out of the question that there wouldn't be NIL opportunities (actually NIL) that aren't available to others.

And, of course, Diakite doesn't have to accept the offer. That doesn't change what the UConn offer entails (which is quality development at the start of his college career as with to Singare).

 

[Huskyforlife]

We could obviously do worse for a roster filler. Kid gets to practice with UConn for a year before moving down a level. Seems like a win/win to me.

 

[NJHusky]

Yep… or the same player could go to UMass or Penn St or somewhere, prb make more in NIL, play, and then bounce up. I just don’t think a high D1 guy is going to go with the mentality of sitting to develop vs playing.

No one is expecting at top 30 guy to come and sit the bench for 1-2 years. It’s about guys who need more time…but have the potential to maybe be something in time. If not they transfer. Guys that started playing later in life or from smaller programs.

We have one of those guys backing up Reed/Samson. The other guy left for Richmond. If we are able to do it now, we can do it easier with 15 schollys

 

[TheHorde]

But that little big more NIL at UMass stays at that level after not developing. Going to UConn and developing into a quality player could lead to not only more NIL money down the line, but also professional basketball down the line.

Plus as a Connecticut kid, it isn't out of the question that there wouldn't be NIL opportunities (actually NIL) that aren't available to others.

And, of course, Diakite doesn't have to accept the offer. That doesn't change what the UConn offer entails (which is quality development at the start of his college career as with to Singare).

Is Umass considered high D1 anymore? Aren’t they in the MAC now?

 

[ec33]

Is Umass considered high D1 anymore? Aren’t they in the MAC now?

Boog204 brought them up, so I went with it. But looking now, his offers are Iowa, Missouri, and Penn State. As a developmental center, I am not sure how much playing time those schools are expecting to give him in year one. And a UConn stay comes with a ring.

 

[TheHorde]

Boog204 brought them up, so I went with it. But looking now, his offers are Iowa, Missouri, and Penn State. As a developmental center, I am not sure how much playing time those schools are expecting to give him in year one. And a UConn stay comes with a ring.

Missouri and Iowa are solid teams. I’m not sure what else they have on their rosters at the position, though.

 

[Umami Zen]

If offer is legit. Maybe its the beginning of a new strategy for Dan Hurley/staff for slots 13-15 re :roster management for developmental players that have upside.

 

[boog204]

No one is expecting at top 30 guy to come and sit the bench for 1-2 years. It’s about guys who need more time…but have the potential to maybe be something in time. If not they transfer. Guys that started playing later in life or from smaller programs.

We have one of those guys backing up Reed/Samson. The other guy left for Richmond. If we are able to do it now, we can do it easier with 15 schollys

Was just commenting because I've twice read that we can start to take everyone because of the 15 scholly situation. Above is was take Toure and this guy. In another thread it was "why don't we take all the guards that we're recruiting."

I still find it doubtful that any 4 star rated player would join any D1 team to be the 12-15th man. If we're talking someone like Hilton or another player who is clearly a project then that makes sense. But Diakite has offers from big ten and big 12 schools that presumably would put him in a situation to actually get some meaningful time versus a pure developmental concept as it would be here.