Mamadou Diarra

Diarra showed off the two sides of his game tonight perfectly in Stoneridge's surprising overtime loss to Maine Central Institute, coming up completely flat in the first half with just 2 points and zero rebounds, but coming alive in the second half and overtime and finishing with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 blocks.

On one hand Diarra will struggle to catch easy passes in the post and finish over players 5-6 inches shorter than him due to his non-existent post moves. But just when you're ready to write him off, he'll come up with a huge block on one end and then run the floor and spot up for an NBA range 3-pointer, swishing it effortlessly as if it were nothing for him. The fact that he hit two of these 3-pointers and looked absolutely terrific doing so in terms of his mechanics and confidence leads you to believe that it isn't just a flash in the pan.

Diarra's biggest problem is the fact that he has terrible hands for a 7-footer. He bobbled at least a dozen post entry passes and rebounds tonight, and generally got outhustled and scored on by players who had no business doing so. He's extremely raw and lacks a great sense for where he is on the floor at any given moment, but it's nearly impossible to ignore the fantastic tools he brings to the floor. Diarra is a legit 7 footer with an NBA body, something that will certainly make him a hot commodity on the recruiting scene as long as he remains uncommitted. USC, Arizona, Tennessee, Baylor, Fresno State and UConn are all vying for his signing.

The highly touted center prospect struggled yet again tonight against a smaller Lee Academy squad, which basically forced Stoneridge to match their “small ball” style of play, leaving all three of Stoneridge’s seven footers planted on the bench for large portions of the game. When in the game however, Diarra made his presence felt on the defensive end, snagging a ton of rebounds and making Lee Academy players think twice before putting up soft shots in the lane. He even showed a little on the offensive end tonight, displaying a sweet spin move along the baseline for two points, and using his great strength on a post pin that resulted in a dunk, plus the foul.

While Mamadou will never blow anyone away with his numbers in the stat line, it is his massive upside that have college coaches drooling over him and make him a player we need to keep our eyes on. We are looking at a seven footer who has a perfect frame, runs the floor very well, and is awfully athletic. While Diarra is still incredibly raw, he has shown some decent basketball instincts when on the floor and has the luxury of working with a former NBA scout (Babacar Sy) and former collegiate assistant coach (Amadou Koundoul) on a daily basis to work on his development on the low blocks. He is currently considering USC, Baylor, Connecticut, Fresno State, Arizona, and Tennessee amongst others at the moment. It seems to be a given that Mamdou will land at either a school with another Senegalese player, or one with a tradition of developing big men, so there is a chance that we might be talking about him as a draft prospect in a few years if he is ever able to develop on the offensive end of the floor.

The most highly touted of the three, Mamadou Diarra, actually played the poorest of the group. He was really hindered by picking up three quick fouls early in the first half, and was forced to sit and watch running mates Sylla and Thomas pick up the majority of the minutes. Diarra responded in the second half after Thomas fouled out, blocking a pair of shots and converting a huge dunk off of an offensive rebound late in the second half. Mamadou possesses the best raw physical attributes of the three big men, as he already has an amazing physique, owns a great wingspan, and has surprising motor quickness for a raw big man prospect.