Mamadi Diakite has become the latest member of Virginia's national championship team to declare early for the NBA Draft.
The redshirt junior forward announced Wednesday on Instagram that he plans to leave school early to "test the waters" at the next level, becoming the fourth Cavaliers player in three days to declare.
“This has been an unbelievable experience and I can’t even begin to put it in to words. I have grown so much from my first day on Grounds both on and off the court, which is why I am confident in announcing my intentions to declare for the NBA Draft,” Diakite wrote, in part.
"This process will allow me to test the waters, get valuable feedback and participate in the pre-draft process. Regardless, I know that UVA will always hold a special place in my heart."
The 6-foot-9 forward served as a reserve for much of the season, but was promoted to the starting lineup during the NCAA Tournament when the Cavaliers faced Oklahoma in the Round of 32. Before that, he helped Virginia secure a 71-56 win over No. 16 seed Gardner-Webb, scoring 17 points with nine rebounds in the first round.
He also played an integral role in in the South Region final as he made a jumper at the buzzer to send Virginia to the Final Four for the first time since 1984 as the Cavaliers defeated No. 3 seed Purdue, 80-75.
In three seasons with Virginia, Diakite averaged 5.6 points with 4.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes through 104 games. This past season he saw career highs, averaging 7.4 points in 21.8 minutes on the court.
Diakite joins guard Ty Jerome (junior), forward De’Andre Hunter (redshirt sophomore) and guard Kyle Guy (junior) as the Cavaliers who have declared for the draft early. The Washington Post notes this could leave Virginia with just one starter returning for next season with freshman guard Kihei Clark.
