When Kentucky Basketball was coming so close to landing top high school recruits and transfers, but ultimately just missing out on them, Mark Pope and his staff needed a player like Zoom Diallo to get on the board.
Diallo has referred to Kentucky as his “dream school.”
“When I came on my visit, I came off the plane, and someone already knew my name,” Diallo said at Thursday’s media availability. “[When I was growing up], I was a West Coast guy. I was waking up at nine a.m. in the morning to watch Tyrese Maxey, Hamidou Diallo, all of those types of dudes. I understand how much fans care about Kentucky Basketball.
“The fact that I’m even able to put on the jersey is such a blessing for me and a dream come true. Again, now that I’m here, I really want to not take things for granted and definitely apply what I’ve been working on.”
Fans knew Diallo’s name because of how good a player he is. Having played two seasons at Washington, in the tough Big Ten Conference, Diallo is going to bring a high pedigree to Kentucky and make an impact in the SEC. This past season, Diallo averaged 15.7 points per game and 4.5 **** ists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. That’s after averaging 11.1 points and 2.7 **** ists per game as a Freshman while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor.