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With coaches now permitted to contact 2021 recruits, John Calipari and his staff have been working the phones non-stop in recent weeks.
A new name that could be moving onto Calipari’s big board is Moussa Diabate, who UK is reportedly getting into the mix for, according to Andrew Slater.
#Kentucky & #Memphis are now trying to get involved with 5⭐️Moussa Diabate’21 of @nightrydaselite #Auburn is recruiting him the hardest.
— Andrew Slater (@Andrew__Slater) June 15, 2019
Plus the schools that already offered :
Georgia Tech, Illinois, Oklahoma St, Oklahoma , Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Florida & San Francisco pic.twitter.com/ORUPjKzYI7
Diabate is a 6-9, 190-pound power forward from Daytona Beach (FL). He plays for DME Academy and is currently ranked No. 12 overall in the 2021 class by Rivals and 247 Sports. ESPN has him ranked No. 9 overall.
Thus far, Diabate has gotten offers from Texas tech, Miami, Memphis, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Virginia Tech among others.
Diabate certainly looks the part of a future NBA big man with his length, athleticism and touch around the basket, but he’ll obviously need to bulk up over the next two years if he’s going to bang in the paint when he arrives to college.
Another recruit now on UK’s radar is five-star guard Jaden Hardy, according to Jake Weingarten.
Louisville, Kentucky, and Kansas, have now all reached out to five-star sophomore Jaden Hardy, he told @Stockrisers. https://t.co/aVHWzzVfkI
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) June 15, 2019
A 6-4, 185-pound combo guard out of Henderson (NV), Hardy plays for Coronado High School. He’s currently ranked No. 5 overall in the 2021 class by 247 Sports, No. 6 by Rivals and No. 4 by ESPN.
Hardy already has scholarship offers from UCLA, Alabama, LSU, Washington, USC, Missouri, Memphis, Arizona and Oklahoma among others.
247 Sports recruiting analyst Josh Gershon compares Hardy to Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson and offered up this scouting report:
Very good size for combo guard with long arms and plus athleticism. Impressive projectable frame with plenty of room to gain strength. Extremely versatile playmaker who can create for teammates or himself. Relatively efficient scorer from all three levels. Impressive ball skills and vision. Has size, length and lateral quickness to guard both one and two. Has been on consistent upward trajectory since arriving in high school. Can still improve jumper and scoring package. Will need to improve assist/turnover ratio to hit upside as a primary ball-handler.
So far, the only 2021 recruits with offers from UK are Jonathan Kuminga, Terrence Clarke and Paolo Banchero.
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