Possessing length, athleticism, and an ability to switch on the 2-5 defensively, 6-foot-10, 205-pound New Heights Lightning product Badara Diakete (South Kent, CT '25)has now committed to Saint Louis.
South Kent Prep's Diakete, who brings the multi-positional versatility prioritized in the modern-day Division-I game, decided to de-commit from Iowa. Diakete re-opened his recruitment following the firing of Fran McCaffrey back on March 14th.
McCaffrey, who had spent 15 seasons at the helm, was let go at the culmination of the season and supplanted by Ben McCollum. Upon reopening his recruitment, Diakete briefly weighed the market. He ultimately decided on a Saint Louis team now under head coach Josh Schertz.
The program went 19-15 during Schertz's debut season, finishing fifth in the Atlantic 10 during the 2024-25 campaign. Reopening his recruitment, Diakete held offers from the likes of Penn State, Missouri, UConn, and others.
Diakete is a fluidly mobile, baseline-to-baseline big with some significant explosiveness. He's offensively unique for his ability to stretch the floor out with a deft 3-point touch. His defensive uniqueness and awareness are evident with his ability to shuffle his feet on the perimeter and sit down on bigger guards and wings.
While he's still developing his all-around offensive game and adapting to the niceties of the next level. Diakete gives Saint Louis length and instincts defensively. He is currently on campus and acclimatizing to the new system.
Able to put the ball on the floor comfortably at his towering size and create off the dribble, Diakete could utilize his talent in an array of different roles at Saint Louis. He's going to take some time during the embryonic phases of the development process, albeit the coaching staff appears high on his talent.
Saint Louis has re-tooled its roster. They added Trey Green, a point guard via Xavier who showed promise during his freshman season. They also picked up St. John's transfer Brady Dunlap, a sharpshooting 6-foot-7 guard who showed flashes during his stay under Rick Pitino, albeit he was hampered by a season-ending injury this past year. Diakete bolsters the program's frontcourt depth. With his broomstick long arms, the forward/center is able to keep possessions alive offensively and generate second-chance scoring opportunities.
Saint Louis has been actively recruiting the New York high school market with its coaching staff, which arrived last year. During their inaugural season, Saint Louis offered Stepinac's highly lauded 2026 tandem of 6-foot-5 sharpshooting guard Jasiah Jervis and athletic, inside-outside wing Hassan Koureissi. Both players were offered during the regular season, after Stepinac delivered a convincing win over Richmond Heights (Ohio) during the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.
