Georgia adds Pape Diatta, a multi-position versatile scorer, to 2016 recruiting class

Pape Diatta has long had Division I talent. It just took him an additional couple of years to finally be able to sign with a Power 5 program.

On Wednesday, Diatta, who spent his previous two seasons with the College of Southern Idaho, inked his National Letter of Intent to finish his collegiate eligibility at Georgia. Diatta will be eligible to compete immediately and fill a void that’s needed at Georgia, especially on the offensive end.

Diatta grew up in Dakar, Senegal and before playing his high school basketball career at The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida. But as College of Southern Idaho head coach Jared Phay said, an NCAA issue arose that was never settled, which forced him to head to the junior college ranks first.

That’s how he ended up at the College of Southern Idaho, a place he stayed for two seasons before signing with Georgia. It’s something Diatta is ready and primed for.

"One of the most important things was the relationship I built with the (Georgia) coaching staff," Diatta said. "I know they’re in a good league and I think we can accomplish something great."

Diatta will bring an intriguing skill set to Georgia. At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, Diatta can play positions 1 through 4 on the basketball court, and can probably play center if need be. Phay said Diatta even spent some time as the backup point guard. His highlight tape shows a player who can drive and distribute like a guard, but with the size, height and athleticism of a forward who can finish around the rim.

"Pape has great versatility, and he's going to provide the opportunity for our team to play a number of ways," Georgia head coach Mark Fox said. "He can shoot the 3. He can put the ball on the deck. He can get to the rim. We're excited about his abilities and his readiness to step in and play right away."

While Diatta, who averaged 13.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this past season, primarily played on the perimeter at the College of Southern Idaho, he did get some post experience this past season due to injuries down low. The Bulldogs could also use Diatta as a stretch-4 given his propensity to hit the 3-point bucket. He finished his sophomore season with a 34.7 3-point shooting percentage, although that number was at 39.4 before a five-game slump from behind the arc to close the year.

"It’s really rare, especially at our level," Phay said. "We get a lot of talented players in here but not those who can play all five positions."

Georgia began recruiting Diatta two months ago when assistant coach Jonas Hayes trekked out to Twin FalIs, Idaho to see him play. The two connected, with the Bulldogs leading for the duration of Diatta’s recruitment. The only reason Diatta didn’t commit to Georgia earlier, Phay said, is that he had a tough time telling the other schools he would not be coming.

Diatta also held offers from Colorado State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Oregon State and Texas Tech.

"His upside might be as high as anyone I’ve ever coached," Phay said, who has coached junior college basketball for 15 years.

Diatta has played with the Senegal national basketball team and has gone up against some top-level international competition. He’s considered a rising star in the sport in his home country.

But he also understands the step forward he’s about to take from junior college basketball to the Division I level.

"I feel like I’ll be in the top conferences in the nation," Diatta said. "I’ve been playing internationally and played in the World Cup. Competition wise I’ll be all right."

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Georgia adds Pape Diatta, a multi-position versatile scorer, to 2016 recruiting class."