As expected, Virginia landed a commitment on Tuesday from Mamadi Diakite, a 6-foot-9 power forward from the Blue Ridge School (VA).
Diakite also considered USC and Washington.
“It feels great,” he told Scout.com. “I feel like I’m free. No more calling from coaches. I know where I am going. I can focus on what I am doing, and I can get ready for school.”
It remains unclear if he will enroll in 2015 or 2016.
“It’s a possibility,” he told Evan Daniels of Scout of enrolling for 2015. “We don’t know yet.”
At the adidas Nations event this week, Diakite averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds with Team Africa.
Virginia currently has three commits for 2016 in guards Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy along with power forward Jay Huff. They also have a pledge from Memphis transfer Austin Nichols, who must sit out the upcoming season.
FISHER CUTS LIST
2016 Team Thad point guard Jaylen Fisher has cut his list to Baylor, Indiana, Memphis, UNLV, Arkansas and LSU, per his coach.
“Visits will be set up soon and a verbal commitment is planned to be made or could be made as soon as three weeks from now, but probably no later than the first week of October,” coach Norton Hurd said.
Fisher, out of Arlington (TN) Bolton, is ranked the No. 10 point guard in 2016 by 247Sports.com.
JONES TAKING VISIT SPREE
Andrew Jones, a 6-foot-4 combo guard from Irving (TX) MacArthur, will take five unofficial visits this week, he confirmed to SNY.tv.
Jones will visit Texas Wednesday, Louisville Thursday, Baylor Friday, Texas A&M Saturday and Arizona Monday. Jones said he holds offers from all these schools.
That’s a busy week.
Asked what he’ll bring to a college, Jones said, “A combination of on- and off-the-ball ability, shooting and I’ll push in transition.”
Scout.com first reported the visits.
KEGLER TO VISIT INDIANA
Mario Kegler, who recently announced his transfer to Oak Hill Academy (Va.), will take an official visit to Indiana after picking up an offer over the weekend, according to reports.
“We’ll definitely visit Indiana,” Omhar Carter, Kegler’s guardian and AAU coach, told InsidetheHall.com. “That will be an official.”
“They wanted to know if they did offer if they’d be seriously considered being that we’re surrounded by SEC schools,” Carter told the site. “I talked to coach (Chuck) Martin. I’ve talked to coach (Tom) Crean several times. Basically, they talk about the development, making him better and turning him into a player that can play at the next level.”
Carter told the site Maryland, UConn, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Baylor are also in the mix for the 6-7 small forward.
KANSAS OFFERS DIALLO
Kansas is the latest to offer 2017 Putnam Science (CT) Academy combo guard Hamidou Diallo, NY Jayhawks coach Jay David told SNY.tv.
Diallo also holds offers from UConn, Florida, Villanova, Maryland, Louisville, N.C. State, Indiana, Seton Hall, Iowa State, UMass, Minnesota and Providence.
He will play in the Under Armor Elite 24 Game Aug. 22 in Brooklyn.
FREE THROWS
Auburn landed a pledge from 6-foot-7 2016 PF Anfernee McLemore, per Scout.com …Shamorie Ponds is contemplating visits to St. John’s and Minnesota after the Big Strick Classic on Saturday, he told SNY.tv. The 6-2 guard from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Thomas Jefferson just visited Creighton…Devonte Green, a 6-4 combo guard from New York, is hearing from Seton Hall, Indiana, Creighton, Rutgers, Providence and East Carolina, his father told SNY.tv….UCLA had Trevon Duval, EJ Montgomery and Gary Trent Jr., on campus Tuesday. They offered the 6-10 Montgomery and also offered 2018 wing Jaedon LeDee…2016 Vermont Academy Bruce Brown will visit Georgetown and Indiana in September…
