Mamadou Diarra, a 6-8 2016 power forward from Woodstock (CT) Academy, committed to UConn over VCU on Friday at his school. He has visited both schools, neither of which had a 2016 pledge yet. “They recruited me hard and I just felt like that was the place I wanted to be,” he said by phone. “I will bring a lot of energy and rebounds. [Coach Kevin Ollie] said that what I do, my game, they don’t have in their program right now and I’ll be a big piece to the puzzle.” “Mamadou has unmatched energy and relentlessness,” NY Jayhawks coach Jay David told SNY.tv. “He chases rebounds outside of his area and he accepts all of the contact. He’s not afraid of it. He has a knack for blocking shots at his height. He’s young and hasn’t scratched his ceiling yet as far as his skill set.” He and teammate Hamadou Diallo, a 2017 guard, will play this week at the Under Armour stop in Ardsley, N.Y.
