Utah Utes Basketball: Recruiting Idrissa Diallo

If it’s spring it must mean Utah Utes Basketball head coach Larry Krystkowiak is out recruiting over players he already has in an effort to get the Utes back to the NCAA tournament.

This time, Larry is praying on a commitment of his former college coach Mike Montgomery.  The player is Idrissa Diallo, a 6-11 center from Cathedral High in Los Angeles.

My guess is that Diallo wasn’t exactly thrilled that the first act of new Cal coach Cuanzo Martin was to bring the center who had committed to him at Tennessee, to Cal.  I don’t know what the Utes chances of landing Diallo are, as things that were important to him originally were a climate similar to his native Senegal and staying in LA.  Greg Gottlieb got Diallo to Cal by making him feel at home and showing him Berkley had a large Muslim community.  Since Gottleib (who I believe is the brother of CBS Sports Radio guy Doug Gottlieb) is out at Cal, Diallo is looking around.

My thought on this is that when you think climate similar to Senegal and large Muslim community, Utah doesn’t exactly leap to the top of that list.

But perhaps Montgomery has some influence over this, and Larry and his staff have shown an ability to recruit well, so I wouldn’t say we have no hope.

I’m saying there is a chance

USC and Andy Enfield might be one to watch here.