Virginia Basketball: Mamadi Diakite’s mid-range touch key for Cavaliers

Virginia Basketball’s Mamadi Diakite is one of the more unique players in college basketball. His ability in the mid-range is part of the reason why.

Regardless of how this season unfolds, Virginia Basketball senior Mamadi Diakite will always be considered a sort of legend by Cavaliers fans. Who can forget the 6-9 forward’s game-saving shot in last season’s Elite 8 against Purdue. The buzzer-beater kept the team’s title hopes alive, and of course, Tony Bennett’s squad went on to win the national championship.

(Credit to KenPom, Hoop-Math, sports-reference, ESPN and The Stepien for statistics/charts and NCAA March Madness and ACC Digital Network for GIFS)

Diakite deservedly received plenty of credit for making such a huge shot, but the degree to which he was suited for this exact shot didn’t receive the proper attention. These looks located a bit outside the restricted area are tricky in normal situations, and there aren’t many players that can make them with decent efficiency. Diakite’s shot, however, wasn’t a typical attempt; due to the situation, he was forced to take an awkward standstill shot, and he still nailed it. The thing is, Diakite takes and makes shots not too dissimilar from the above on a fairly regular basis.

The Mid-Range/”Floater Range”

There’s been a lot of anticipation about Diakite potentially taking on a significantly expanded offensive role this season, and after 12 and 19-point outings to start the year, this could very well end up being the case. In the same vein, many have expected the forward to step back from the mid-range to the 3-point line, adding this shot to his toolbox.

Tony Bennett would obviously be thrilled to have another 3-point shooter, but with Diakite attempting only three 3-pointers through two games (1-3), it’s unclear if this will play out. Due to the forward’s proficiency in the mid-range, however, this development might not even be necessary.

Diakite not only has a smooth-looking mid-range jumper, but as alluded to, he is proficient with touch shots just outside the restricted area (“floater range”). Per The Stepien’s shot-tracking tool, the junior attempted 55 shots in the “short mid-range” area (yellow) last season, a hefty number for a player with a usage rate as low as Diakite’s was last season.

For reference, a high-usage, around-the-basket player like Zion Williamson only attempted 33 such shots last season. Having so much experience with these “yellow” shots surely helped Diakite’s chances when his named was called against Purdue. In this sense, he was perfectly suited for his “one shining moment.”

Although Diakite only made 38.2% of these shots, the 51.6% Zion hit appears to be a bit of an outlier in the data (38.2% is likely better than it looks). Additionally, having been asked to take on an expanded role this season, the junior looks a lot more assertive, which could help his “mid-range” and “floater range” abilities flourish. Most of Diakite’s 6-10 shooting performance against Syracuse in the season opener this came in these areas.

Mamadi Diakite could be well on his way to an All-American caliber season. His strength will likely always be on the defensive end of the floor, but he looks primed to take on a lot more of the scoring load.

Perhaps he’ll explore the 3-point shot more as the season progresses, but even if not, Cavaliers fans should expect Diakite to excel in both the mid-range and “floater range.” Perhaps his skill will come in handy this season in another big moment.