NEW YORK — Hamidou Diallo may have been the most athletic player at this weekend’s Nike EYBL stop in Brooklyn — and coaches from virtually every high-major program in the nation came away impressed with his play.
When Diallo’s Rens lost to the PSA Cardinals 63-55 in Sunday’s showcase game, the 6-foot-6 Class of 2017 guard went for 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks.
“His upside’s through the roof,” Rens coach Andy Borman told SNY.tv “He’s the most athletic naturally gifted player in the country and maybe not even for his class, maybe just hands down. The kid is 6-6, can do everything and does everything willingly. Plays defense, blocks shots, hustle plays, but the most impressive thing that I’ve seen is his basketball IQ is through the roof. It’s not like he’s just a gifted kid but he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Everything he does has a reason.”
The crowd featured a Who’s Who of college coaches there to watch Diallo and 6-foot-11 PSA Cardinals star Mohamed Bamba, among others.
Duke and UConn both went three deep with coaches for the game, while Kentucky, Kansas and Syracuse each had two coaches. UConn’s Kevin Ollie, Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Kentucky’s John Calipari were among a slew of big-name coaches on hand.
Duke will watch Diallo on Tuesday at Putnam Science, and Kentucky and Oregon come in on Wednesday.
“I’m all in on Hamidou Diallo,” one high-major assistant told SNY.tv after he threw down this dunk (right in front of me) during the morning session.
Hamidou Diallo with the dunk of the weekend at EYBL. @Diallo1Hamidou @RENShoops @AdamZagoria pic.twitter.com/qNNtCmyf3F
– Overtime (@overtime) April 17, 2016
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Diallo holds offers from many high-majors, including UConn, Kansas and Arizona, while Kentucky and Duke had yet to offer as of Sunday evening.
“It’s still early, I have a feeling that on Monday or Tuesday my phone may break,” Borman said.
Both Kentucky and UConn have made Diallo, a Queens Village, N.Y., native who plays for Putnam Science Academy (CT), a priority.
“I know that he’s one of [Kentucky’s] priorities,” Borman said. “They’ve seen him a lot and Coach Cal has seen him a lot throughout the high school season and obviously was courtside for [several games].”
Said Diallo of Kentucky: “I just feel that it’s a blessing, man, something that I worked for.”
UConn has long been linked to Diallo because his school is in the state and his high school teammate Mamadou Diarra committed to the Huskies for 2016.
“Coach Ollie called me right away the minute that Hamidou decided to play with the Rens and let me know that he still loves him,” said Borman, whose team is with Nike after playing on the adidas circuit last summer when they were led by Rawle Alkins and Mustapha Heron.
Diallo declined to go into specific schools, but it’s clear that Kentucky and Duke are zeroing in on him, while others like UConn, Kansas and Arizona have already offered.
“I’m interested in every school that’s recruiting me,” Diallo said. “It’s just the truth. I don’t really have no favorites, just enjoying the process.”
Diallo did say he wants to keep working on his shooting and defense as the spring and summer progress.
“Just being to knock down the three-ball consistently,” he said. “I’m getting better every day defensively, working on lateral quickness.”
NHamidou Diallo may have been the most athletic player at this weekend’s Nike EYBL stop in Brooklyn — and coaches from virtually every high-major program in the nation came away impressed with his play.
