PF Mamadou Diarra (Signed LOI on 11/14)

[aceboon]

Good showing for him so far, Bossi rated him as the 7th best performer during the 1st day of the UA camp

The Connecticut bound Rivals150 power forward from the class of 2016 wasn't happy to hear he measured in at 6-foot-5 ½ bare footed during the combine. However he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan to help make up for being a slightly undersized four man. Diarra is also bouncy, has a great motor and rebounds in and out of his area. Diarra finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds on the night.

 

[aceboon]

The top of his head may be short, but people are often deceived by height. Wingspan is a much better indicator of a player's size. Who cares if his head is short if his arms reach higher than dudes like Aaron Gordon. If you put the two next to each other and they reached up, Mamadou's hand would be higher. That's all that matters in basketball.

Eh, I think Diarra will be fine as a college big because of his length, frame, and that he's bouncy but I wouldn't say wingspan is the only thing that matters. BG had over a 6'8" wingspan, NBA SGs still posted him up and shot over the top of him, his lack of height was always going to make him a defensive liability as a full time NBA SG.

 

[superjohn]

Diarra is slightly taller than Adrien with a slightly longer wingspan.

 

[tcf15]

Diarra is slightly taller than Adrien with a slightly longer wingspan.

Fixed an autocorrect typo for you to avoid stupid jokes.

 

[Jimdish255]

He looks like he's afraid he might jump out of the building. Now against good defenders we'll have to see but looks like a special talent.

 

[superjohn]

Fixed an autocorrect typo for you to avoid stupid jokes.

Thanks, I can imagine what it is and I'm sure we'll be hearing that joke while he plays here.

 

[RipCity]

If he ever learns how to dribble even to Adrien's level he could be a bad bad man.

 

[jazyj]

If he ever learns how to dribble even to Adrien's level he could be a bad bad man.

we don't need him to put the ball on the floor we need him to run the floor

 

[UConnSwag11]

This isn't anything new: he was always an undersized (height-wise, anyway) PF and a serious reach at C.

He's Jeff Adrien minus the skill, but with all of the toughness -- something our frontcourt needs in practice and off the bench.

Are you comparing adrien senior of college to diarras junior year of high school?

 

[Waquoit]

As far as height goes, why couldn't he grow a couple inches between now and next fall?

 

[Fishy]

To the best of my knowledge, Top 50 centers do not grow on trees. If it turns out that I am wrong, I want the Ag department on it pronto.

Dope.

Centers are root vegetables.

 

[aceboon]

thru 3 games 14ppg, 10.7rebs, 1.7lbks

http://www.circuitstats.com/roster_players/8727423

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Just wondering, why are Diallo and Diarra on different teams

 

[aceboon]

Just wondering, why are Diallo and Diarra on different teams

its a camp setting, not their AAU teams

 

[CardiacAndre7]

its a camp setting, not their AAU teams

Oh okay thanks. No AAU teams at UAA

 

[aceboon]

Oh okay thanks. No AAU teams at UAA

Diarra and Diallo play for an UA AAU team, Under Armour invited the best players from their spring circuit to the Under Armour All America Camp.

 

[James]

the way he is playing would indicate a boost in his ranking by any sensible scout? don't really know how he fared in specific head to heads, but the way he has rebounded he is clearly one of the best bigs at the camp.

 

[tcf15]

the way he is playing would indicate a boost in his ranking by any sensible scout? don't really know how he fared in specific head to heads, but the way he has rebounded he is clearly one of the best bigs at the camp.

Would hope so.

Speaking of the rankings, I wonder how much this will impact rankings going forward - Rivals is sponsoring the Under Armour camp. In response, the Peach Jam, which is run by Nike, refused to credential anyone from Rivals. Think Nike could potentially freeze Rivals out of any and all Nike sponsored events this summer. I imagine that would make the rankings/evaluations a bit tougher if Rivals can't get access to the Nike circuit.

 

[HooperScooper]

Would hope so.

Speaking of the rankings, I wonder how much this will impact rankings going forward - Rivals is sponsoring the Under Armour camp. In response, the Peach Jam, which is run by Nike, refused to credential anyone from Rivals. Think Nike could potentially freeze Rivals out of any and all Nike sponsored events this summer. I imagine that would make the rankings/evaluations a bit tougher if Rivals can't get access to the Nike circuit.

While I think it's petty by Nike to do that, the sneaker companies have always been ridiculously territorial and petty. I don't know who the brainiac is at Rivals is who made the decision to sponsor the UA camp but they had to know this was a possibility. Not too smart.

 

[Fishy]

Would hope so.

Speaking of the rankings, I wonder how much this will impact rankings going forward - Rivals is sponsoring the Under Armour camp. In response, the Peach Jam, which is run by Nike, refused to credential anyone from Rivals. Think Nike could potentially freeze Rivals out of any and all Nike sponsored events this summer. I imagine that would make the rankings/evaluations a bit tougher if Rivals can't get access to the Nike circuit.

First, the obligatory point about rankings being relatively meaningless. A ranking has yet to score a point in college basketball.

Second, the obligatory point about most of the people doing the rankings being meatheads.

Third, it's not going to matter. There are so many events and the Rivals nitwits have already seen every player twelve times and will continue to see them.

 

[James]

@tcf15 did Rivals get banned from the nike academy? I dont see how rivals is directly competing with nike here, peach jam is an aau event while the ua thing is a camp. majority of high talent that plays in the nike circuit is at peach jam, not skipping town to hit the ua camp. its not like peach jam needs crazy coverage, enough people are there covering the event

 

[tcf15]

@tcf15 did Rivals get banned from the nike academy? I dont see how rivals is directly competing with nike here, peach jam is an aau event while the ua thing is a camp. majority of high talent that plays in the nike circuit is at peach jam, not skipping town to hit the ua camp. its not like peach jam needs crazy coverage, enough people are there covering the event

The Peach Jam is an AAU event, but strictly for Nike. It's the tournament round of Nike's EYBL circuit and all the AAU teams there are Nike: http://www.nikeeyb.com/games/

Whether or not the Peach Jam was happening at the same time as the Under Armour camp, don't think UA would bring any of the talent playing in the Peach Jam because it's only for UA kids.

Just thought it was interesting to see the shoe wars spilling over into the recruiting coverage.

 

[mauconnfan]

Just wondering, why are Diallo and Diarra on different teams

I'm guessing because Diallo said his recruitment is now wide open and Diarra isn't happy so he asked them to put him on a different team?

 

[James]

The Peach Jam is an AAU event, but strictly for Nike. It's the tournament round of Nike's EYBL circuit and all the AAU teams there are Nike: http://www.nikeeyb.com/games/

Whether or not the Peach Jam was happening at the same time as the Under Armour camp, don't think UA would bring any of the talent playing in the Peach Jam because it's only for UA kids.

Just thought it was interesting to see the shoe wars spilling over into the recruiting coverage.

uprising is this weekend too in atl, pretty insane weekend for grassroots.

 

[KembaStepback]

So Diarra seems like Rock 2.0. Not exactly highly regarded, but will be effective as a rebounder/garbage man.

His biggest influence will be if he convinces Diallo to come.