Tyran Stokes was always meant to be Kentucky’s crown jewel at the three-spot for this coming season. That explains why Mark Pope stuck with his recruitment to its very bitter end; it also explains the Wildcats’ current scramble for a replacement at that position.
With a small pool of names currently in the mix – Ryan Hampton may be the most probable – Pope and his staff are in the hunt for a small forward worthy of (at least a portion of) the NIL share that had been collecting dust in the trophy room in wait for Stokes.
Now, a new and potentially perfect competitor has entered the picture. Per Jamie Shaw, international forward Kamary Diakite is exploring the college avenue for the incoming year. If Kentucky isn’t already involved, they absolutely should be.
Kentucky Should Pursue Kamary Diakite
Diakite is the latest in a long line of overseas players looking to leap to the NCAA, and Kentucky has, of course, shown interest in that field on numerous occasions. The recent commitment of Ousmane N’Diaye is one thing, but Pope has traveled out of the country in the short time since then to visit another recruit…