Diakite Named to Three Player of the Year Watch Lists
Virginia Athletics Master Plan
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia’s Mamadi Diakite (Conakry, Guinea) has been named to three NCAA Division I Men’s Player of the Year watch lists.
Diakite was named to the Citizen Naismith Player of the Year watch list, NABC Division I Player of the Year watch list and Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list.
Diakite is one of 50 players named the Naismith watch list and one of 20 named to the NABC watch list.
Diakite averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots as a redshirt junior in 2018-19. He hit the game-tying jumper at the end of regulation against Purdue in the NCAA Elite Eight, earning All-South Regional team honors. Diakite blocked a career high five shots in the Final Four semifinal win over Auburn and averaged 10.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots in the NCAA Tournament for the national champion Cavaliers. He is a preseason All-ACC first-team selection and on the Karl Malone Award watch list for the nation’s top power forward.
Citizen Naismith Player of the Year Candidates
Bryce Aiken (Harvard), Cole Anthony (North Carolina), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), Kamar Baldwin (Butler), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Florida), Vernon Carey Jr. (Duke), Yoeli Childs (BYU), Tristan Clark (Baylor), Anthony Cowan Jr. (Maryland), Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati), Mamadi Diakite (Virginia), Alpha Diallo (Providence), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Devon Dotson (Kansas), Anthony Edwards (Georgia), Jordan Ford (St. Mary’s), Kellan Grady (Davidson), Jon Axel Gudmundsson (Davidson), Ashton Hagans (Kentucky), Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State), Markus Howard (Marquette), Markell Johnson (NC State), Tre Jones (Duke), Anthony Lamb (Vermont), Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama), Nico Mannion (Arizona), Naji Marshall (Xavier), Tyrese Maxey (Kentucy), Skylar Mays (LSU), Sam Merrill (Utah State), John Mooney (Notre Dame), Andrew Nembhard (Florida), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Reggie Perry (Mississippi State), Myles Powell (Seton Hall), Payton Pritchard (Oregon), Zavier Simpson (Michigan), Jalen Smith (Maryland), Lamar Stevens (Penn State), Isaiah Stewart (Washington), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Xavier Tillman (Michigan State), Tres Tinkle (Oregon State), Obi Toppin (Dayton), Breein Tyree (Ole Miss), Kaleb Wesson (Ohio State), Cassius Winston (Michigan State), James Wiseman (Memphis) and McKinley Wright IV (Colorado).
NABC Division I Player of the Year Candidates
Cole Anthony (North Carolina), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), Kerry Blackshear (Florida), Jaron Cumberland (Cincinnati), Mamadi Diakite (Virginia), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Devon Dotson (Kansas), Anthony Edwards (Georgia), Markus Howard (Marquette), Tre Jones (Duke), Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky), Sam Merrill (Utah State), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Reggie Perry (Mississippi State), Myles Powell (Seton Hall), Jalen Smith (Maryland), Isaiah Stewart (Washington), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Cassius Winston (Michigan State), James Wiseman (Memphis).
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List
Precious Achiuwa (Memphis), Ty-Shon Alexander (Creighton), Cole Anthony (North Carolina), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas), Kamar Baldwin (Butler), Desmond Bane (TCU), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Saddiq Bey (Villanova), Kerry Blackshear Jr. (Florida), Vernon Carey Jr. (Duke), Yoeli Childs (BYU), Anthony Cowan Jr. (Maryland), Jarron Cumberland (Cincinnati), Antoine Davis (Detroit Mercy), Mamadi Diakite (Virginia), Alpha Diallo (Providence), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Devon Dotson (Kansas), Anthony Edwards (Georgia), CJ Elleby (Washington State), Jordan Ford (St. Mary’s), Kellan Grady (Davidson), Jon Axel Gudmundsson (Davidson), Ashton Hagans (Kentucky), Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State), Markus Howard (Marquette), Tre Jones (Duke), Anthony Lamb (Vermont), Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama), Nico Mannion (Arizona), Naji Marshall (Xavier), Tyrese Maxey (Kentucy), Sam Merrill (Utah State), Andrew Nembhard (Florida), Jordan Nwora (Louisville), Reggie Perry (Mississippi State), Myles Powell (Seton Hall), Payton Pritchard (Oregon), Neemias Queta (Utah State), Nick Rakocevic (USC), Jalen Smith (Maryland), Lamar Stevens (Penn State), Isaiah Stewart (Washington), Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Tres Tinkle (Oregon State), Kaleb Wesson (Ohio State), Cassius Winston (Michigan State), James Wiseman (Memphis) and McKinley Wright IV (Colorado).