When Hassan Diarra was starring for Putnam Science Academy in high school, UConn heavily recruited the four-star recruit hard but came up short for the shooting guard, who decided to head to the Southwest and Texas A&M. When Diarra was ready for a new opportunity after his sophomore season, however, it didn’t take much time for Diarra to decide to come home.
Diarra, a ‘6-2’ shooting guard, averaged 6.2 points and 1.4 assists last season and 6 points in his two seasons with the Aggies, who just missed the NCAA tournament last season. He added 19 assists last season in 39 games. Diarra developed a reputation for clutch shooting last season, hitting three 3-pointers that either tied or won the game for Texas A&M. Diarra is certainly not scared of the big moment, telling the media “I think it’s just a testament to how hard I work. I work hard every day, and it showed in the biggest moments.”
Diarra showed some growth last season but still has a lot of room for improvement with the Huskies, who he can play up to three seasons with due to the extra Covid-19 year available. He improved his shooting significantly as a sophomore, going up 13 points in his offensive rating according to KenPom and recording solid jumps in his effective field goal and true shooting percentages as well (to 43.8 and 48.7). Diarra cut down his turnover rate by 7.3 points to 21.4, and improved his assist rate in conference play. After a tough start to conference play, Diarra ultimately ended up with seven double-digit scoring games and ultimately had 11 on the season. The muscular Diarra is a solid finisher and shot 48.7% inside the arc during conference play.
Diarra does not have a great handle and committed multiple turnovers in 12 games. However, he will be capable of providing additional ball-handling when necessary and support Tristen Newton, Andre Jackson and Jordan Hawkins with running the offense during short spurts. Diarra will likely compete with Hawkins for starter’s minutes. A key factor for Diarra earning more minutes is improving his 3-point shooting. He knocked down 31.2% beyond the arc as a sophomore and drained multiple threes in eight games.
Diarra should be a solid defender for the Huskies. He has demonstrated the ability to use his size and athleticism to body up on defenders and pressure the ball. Diarra has a knack for getting steals and earned a steal rate of 2.5% with the Aggies last year, forcing multiple ones in six games.
The long-standing relationship that Hassan’s brother Mamadou has with the UConn program certainly didn’t hurt when Diarra was deciding to transfer. Mamadou played briefly for UConn under Kevin Ollie before injuries ended his on-court career, and has been a member of the coaching staff for four years now. He was recently promoted to the role of Director of Player Development. Ultimately however, Hassan told the media that his final decision in where he transferred came down to the relationship with the coaches, where he could see himself thriving, and the program having winning as a priority.
Diarra is especially valuable to the program as a skilled player who will be with the program for at least two years (barring him transferring) and can develop under the tutelage of Dan Hurley. As a junior, he will likely play 15-20 minutes at most. Diarra should play significantly more minutes next season at shooting guard if Tristan Newton and Naheim Alleyne choose to not use the super senior year available to them due to Covid-19 or Andre Jackson decided to pursue a professional career.
UConn was in need of two-way players who have had proven success at a high level, and Diarra absolutely fills that niche. If he can provide an immediate impact on defense and continue to become more well-rounded on offense, the Huskies could find themselves with an indispensable piece and fan favorite in Hassan’s final season in Storrs.
HUSKY NATION 