The Central Florida Knights scored a late 2008 commitment that can help them as a freshman. Athletic small forward David Diakite, a 6-foot-4 standout from Fort Washington (Md.) National Christian, selected the Knights on Friday.
“The kid fell in love,” National coach Trevor Brown said. “A lot of people were waiting to see if he qualified. Central Florida wanted him and he loved them.”
A slashing, attacking style wing athlete, Diakite is a strong late addition. “They think I can come in and help them attack the basket and get to the free throw line,” he told Scout.com.
Steve DeMeo, UCF’s newest assistant, scouted National Christian when he was at Providence last season. DeMeo kept in touch and when something opened, UCF was right there.
“Basketball-wise, my feeling was, all the Big East’s were flirting with him but I thought it was a little above his level,” Brown said. “Some schools had new staffs and might have recruited over him. I thought this was the best fit basketball-wise. It’s a good conference and it’s not a high major but its high enough that he can go in there and play right away. They needed a wing athlete.”