One of the top true point guards in the 2024 NCAA Basketball recruiting class has updated his recruitment. Zoom Diallo is a 6’4 playmaker out of Tacoma, Washington known for being a physical ball-handler with an all-around offense. He’s as comfortable getting to the basket as he is shooting it from deep and is a solid passer as well.
Diallo is a point guard capable of playing early as a freshman when he arrives at NCAA Basketball. And now, there are six teams in running for his services, mostly from out west. It’s a long way away but we can look at how he’d fit with each of the contenders in play.
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Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats will be losing Courtney Ramey after this year and current starter, Kerr Kriisa the year after. So at this moment, there’s a chance that Ziallo could come in and get minutes. But head coach Tommy Lloyd has already taken care of the point guard position for the future. Top-40 prospect Kylan Boswell reclassified and is on the roster this season, while class of 2023 commit, four-star KJ Lewis is joining next season.
There’s also class of 2024 commit Jamari Phillips, already on both as well. Coach Lloyd has and can play two ball-handlers together so it’s not a dealbreaker and Arizona has one of the best offenses in the country since he joined the program. But if we assume that the team will be adding veterans from the portal, the rotation may not be as clear as Diallo would prefer at this option.
Florida State Seminoles
The point guard situation for the Seminoles is one that hasn’t been settled this season, as Jalen Warley hasn’t taken the next step in his development. If he or current freshman, Chandler Jackson doesn’t show something this or next year, this team will definitely be looking for a new ball-handler to run the offense.
The question isn’t the ability of head coach Leonard Hamilton but the age and how long he wants to do this. He’ll be over 75 years old by the time Diallo would potentially join and if Florida State has another bad year, may rethink some of his plans. That would be something that could impact his decision.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few and the Bulldogs have similar benefits to Arizona when it comes to having a consistently high-powered offense. They also have the advantage of being “local” for Diallo since they’re in the state of Washington. The program is in the top 10 on a yearly basis and assuming the coach will be around for another five years, they’re fairly appealing for a ball-handler.
What also helps is that they’ll be losing Malachi Smith and there’s a chance that Nolan Hickman won’t be around by his senior season. And even if he is, Diallo can simply be his backup and get good minutes there, before taking over as a sophomore. That’s basically what Hickman did for Andrew Nembhard, who is currently in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.
Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks have a long history of success with their point guards, both from the high school and transfer levels. Redshirt junior starter Dajuan Harris won’t be around in two years, along with backup Joseph Yesufu. That leaves sophomore Bobby Pettiford, Jr. on the roster, along with four-star commit and top-30 prospect, Elmarko Jackson.
Add two other capable ball-handlers in the 2023 class in Chris Johnson and Jamari McDowell and there could be a crowded backcourt by the time Diallo would arrive. It’s a compelling place to play for and a head coach in Bill Self you’d want to play for but this recruit isn’t a five-star/guaranteed starter as a freshman. So it’s a situation where Kansas may opt to focus more on the frontcourt than the backcourt in 2024.
USC Trojans
Starting guard Boogie Ellis won’t be around after this season but the Trojans have his replacement in Isaiah Collier, a five-star and top-10 overall prospect in the 2023 class. He’s a potential “one and done” player, which would create an opportunity for any class of 2024 player to come in and immediately impact the team.
Even if Collier wasn’t gone after a year, Ziallo can still get minutes as a freshman. It’s also Los Angeles and the future Big Ten affiliation, which may be good or bad for both the USC and UCLA programs long-term. Something else to watch is the recruitment of 2023 guard Bronny James, who reportedly is considering the local Trojans as well. If he picks them and is around for multiple years, that’ll affect Diallo’s situation with them.
Washington Huskies
As the “local” option, the Huskies are going to have a shot here. They’ll likely not have both PJ Fuller and Noah Williams after this season but will have Keyon Menifield, who is more of an off-guard than pure point guard. There’s a scenario where Menifield, top-40 class of 2023 guard Wesley Yates and Diallo would make a nice core in the Pac-12. And with USC and UCLA heading out to the Big Ten, Washington could be in a position to contend going forward.
That’ll depend on head coach Mike Hopkins’ status, which likely will be in flux as long as the team remains in the bottom half of the Pac-12. Who knows what Washington will do with him in the next 1.5 years; that decision or non-decision could definitely impact what Diallo ultimately does.