NCAA basketball recruiting predictions for every 2021 5-star recruit
No. 10 – Moussa Diabate – PF – 6-foot-10, 225 pounds – Bradenton, FL
At 6’10, the Frenchman Diabate possesses great size, but he doesn’t appear on film to be overly long and certainly not thin or wiry. He has a solid frame and good foundation which should respond well to the weight room, and you can tell he appreciates physicality when playing. This helps him to rebound the basketball well and makes up for some of what he lacks in the scoring and touch department, which could come with good development.
His size is what would appeal to college coaches and he would be an attractive interior defender at the collegiate level. His recruitment appears to be wide open with lots of interest, including offers from multiple high major programs such as Michigan, Memphis, Auburn, Texas Tech, Florida, Florida St., with Florida and Florida St. apparently being the most aggressive suitors for his services, which makes sense since Diabate stars for IMG Academy in Bradenton. His size and playing style would make him a great fit for Leonard Hamilton at Florida St.
PREDICTION: Florida State Seminoles
No. 9 – Michael Foster – PF – 6-foot-9, 220 pounds – Phoenix, AZ
What jumps off the film about Foster at first glance is his body, mature, athletic, and powerful for a 17-year old kid, and with his size and frame, he’s among the more physically college-ready recruits in the 2021 class. He has impressive finishing around the rim and is very good with the ball in his hands for a big man. If he continues to develop an outside shot, lookout.
Given his size and athleticism, it is unsurprising that Foster has interest from many notable high major programs, including Baylor, Arizona, Marquette, Florida St., and Georgia, with the latter two programs believed to be the most aggressive pursuers of Foster. According to the 247Sports Crystal Ball for Foster, Georgia is a strong bet for his likely destination, and we will defer to that assessment here, although if he continues to develop both physically and on the court, we have a hunch some of the bigger names in college basketball are going to get very interested very quickly.