By Paul Sykes
The addition of Gorgui Dieng to the University of Louisville basketball team is significant. U of L fans should mark the date on the calendar because it is the beginning of a long relationship between the Senegal native and Card fans.
No “one and done” player here. A guy that has grown leaps and bounds skill wise and knowledge wise since arriving in the states and landing at Huntington (W. VA.) Prep.
You’ve heard of that school, right? Patrick Patterson and O.J. Mayo spent a little time there. Huntington coach Rob Fulford, who has seen a talented ballplayer or two in his day, speaks quite highly of the senior:
“Louisville is getting an NBA-level player. The potential the kid has is unbelievable. He has such a huge upside. Not only does he have great skills but he has a very high basketball IQ. He gets better every day.”
Strong words. Dieng impressed fans in the Derby Classic with his inside skills and shot blocking ability. Oh, and he can score in the paint as well. The MVP of the Derby Classic is also a close friend of Justin Coleman. One of the all time highlights of the annual Derby Classic slam-dunk contest was Dieng flipping the ball in the air with his feet to a soaring Coleman for a dunk.
Dieng will prosper under assistant coach Walter McCarty. The daily battles with Samardo Samuels, Terrance Jennings, Steven Van Treese and George Goode will help him hone his skills.
His arrival to Louisville also speaks volumes about Rick Pitino’s recruiting philosophy. Bring in the brightest, the dedicated and the long-term solutions … not the quick fixes. The name Gorgui Dieng will be flowing from Sean Moth’s microphone long after the “one and done’s” are attempting to survive at the volatile and unpredictable next level.
I never heard about him but from your article i think he is a great basket player.
Kid play basketball a couple months in the USA and is gona be 4 star top 100 player,,,big upside down the stretch he can be very dominate player … great future this kid will work hard,,type of player that we need to respect opportunity and work hard … his attitude working hard will help him in Pitino’s system and give him a lot of minutes.
Dieng puts the current scholarship count to 14, including Samuals. If Samuals returns, who ends up leaving?