With high-flying shooting guard Hamidou Diallo set to announce his college choice on Saturday in New York, one of his AAU coaches is comparing him to some fellow high-flyers who starred in the NBA.
“I definitely see it with his athleticism, I think he’s really unique,” Chris Alesi of the NY Rens said on The 4 Quarters Podcast. “I don’t think that there’s one guy that you can really point to, just because his game is different. But I definitely see Vince Carter, Dwyane Wade, guys who are just freakishly athletic.
“But there’s a lot more to Hamidou Diallo. He can shoot the ball better than I’ve ever seen him shoot it. And I think the biggest thing with Hamidou, wherever he ends, he is a program-changer and I’ve seen that first-hand unfold with the Rens.”
The 6-foot-6, 190-pound Diallo is expected to decide between Kentucky and UConn, with Arizona, Syracuse, Indiana and Kansas also having been on his list.
“In the day and age of mixed tapes, highlight tapes, I think Hamidou kind of sets the bar in that regard,” Alesi said. “He’s probably the most recognizable, most popular kid in the mixed-tape world. But I think what a lot of people probably don’t know is the quality of person that Hamidou Diallo is, what he represents, what he stands for.
“He’s an All-American player and he’s really an All-American kid, and that’s the truth.”
Kentucky currently has five players committed who are ranked in the 2017 ESPN 100, while UConn has one.
The Wildcats feature No. 12 Nick Richards, No. 16 P.J. Washington, No. 21 Quade Green, No. 22 Jarred Vanderbilt and No. 43 Shai Gilgeous Alexander.
Diallo, ranked No. 11, would give the Wildcats six players ranked in the top 43, and they remain in the mix for No. 3 Mohamed Bamba and No. 7 Kevin Knox.
“I think Coach Cal’s track record speaks for itself, whether it be New York or Wyoming,” Alesi said. “If he wants to go in there he’s certainly got the credibility to do so. He’s got the track record with these one-and-done types.”
UConn’s Class of 2017 group includes No. 32 Makai Ashton-Langford.
U18 NATIONAL TEAM REUNION?
If Diallo does chose Kentucky, it could help trigger a mini-reunion of the gold-medal winning USA U18 national team in Lexington.
That team — coached by Texas’ Shaka Smart, UConn’s Kevin Ollie and Maryland’s Mark Turgeon — featured Kentucky commits Green and Washington, along with the uncommitted Bamba, the 7-footer who is considering Kentucky, Duke, Texas, Harvard and Michigan, among others, and point guard Trae Young, who is considering Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kentucky.
Diallo went for 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting with 6 rebounds when the U.S. beat Canada, 99-84, to win the gold medal in Valdivia, Chile on July 23.
“Just being humble, and being with this group of guys,” Diallo said then. “We all didn’t get to play the amount that we wanted to play, but we got what we came here for. So, now we just got to go back to our homes and work on our games to get better.”
NBA SCOUT ON DIALLO
Chris Alesi said Diallo is “destined for the NBA,” but one NBA scout who watched the USA U18 team said he thinks Diallo should head to college first instead of the NBA even though he’s eligible for the 2017 Draft.
Diallo appears to be on the brink of doing just that.
“What I saw of him down in Houston, I thought he needed to go to college,” the scout said.
Washington freshman guard Markelle Fultz, the projected No. 1 pick by DraftExpress.com and the MVP of the U18 Championship, and incoming Washington freshman forward Michael Porter Jr. , the projected No. 5 pick in 2018, were the only ones ready for the NBA, the scout said.
“Fultz and Porter, they really impressed me,” the scout said. “Porter’s still in high school. Hamidou Diallo, I think he should just practice with the [college] team and play next year, that’s what I think. Why rush it? He needs to grow up.”
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