Diallo, No. 3 PG in 2024 class, picks Washington

Top-25 senior Zoom Diallo, one of the best point guards in the country, announced his commitment to Washington on Saturday, becoming the Huskies’ highest-ranked recruit since 2019.

Diallo chose coach Mike Hopkins’ program over a final list that included Arizona, Gonzaga and USC. He took official visits to all four finalists and seemed genuinely torn on his decision throughout much of the fall, but the chance to return home was too much to pass up for the Tacoma, Washington, native.

“I am going to stay home and play at Washington,” Diallo told ESPN. “Staying home has everything I want and need.”

Washington made Diallo the focus of its 2024 recruitment strategy since he began his high school career, with Hopkins and assistant coach Will Conroy leading the four-year push to land the talented guard. Diallo built a strong relationship with Hopkins.

“He is an energetic guy. He gets people fired up,” Diallo said. “I trust Coach Hop, Will Conroy and staff. They have recruited me hard since I was a freshman. They have proven player development and can help me be a better player and grow as a person. I trust they will be there for me on good days and bad. With Sahvir Wheeler leaving, I believe I can make an impact and help the University of Washington stay successful. I am excited to play with Wesley Yates and the returning players.”

A 6-foot-4 point guard who attends Prolific Prep (California), Diallo is ranked No. 25 overall in the ESPN 100 for the Class of 2024 and is the No. 3 point guard in the country.

Diallo is a quick and strong downhill driver who does an excellent job of scoring in the paint or passing it out to teammates. When he gets even with his man, he demonstrates the awareness to carry defenders on his hip into the lane and navigate. Once in the paint, he has an array of scoring moves: floaters, jump-stops and shot jumpers. Diallo is improving his ability to create for others and run the team as a point guard. Defensively, he is solid at containing dribble penetration and in time can turn this into a strength.

“I am working on becoming a better decision-maker, open shooter off the catch and help defender,” Diallo said. “I spend extra time in the gym, and I watch a lot of film to learn more.”

Diallo is the second commitment in the 2024 class for Washington, joining Minnesota guard Casmir Chavis. He is the first top-25 prospect to commit to the Huskies since Isaiah Stewart in the 2019 class.