Diakite declares: UVA’s Mamadi Diakite becomes fourth Cavalier to declare for NBA Draft

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Cavalier caravan is leaving Charlottesville and headed to the NBA Draft.

Mamadi Diakite. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Mamadi Diakite, the man who hit the historic game-tying shot against Purdue in the Elite Eight, is headed to the draft, according to his Instagram this evening.

“This has been an unbelievable experience and I can’t even begin to put it into words,” Diakite said in the post. He did not mention signing an agent, which means he has until May 29th to withdraw his name from the pool and return to school.

I would like to thank God and my wonderful family for the opportunity to play this game at such a prestigious university. Just a boy from Conakry, Guinea!!! 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. 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. @justinmaxey1

A post shared by Mamadi Diakite (@_indomitablediakite) on Apr 17, 2019 at 2:09pm PDT

Diakite joins Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, and De’Andre Hunter as Wahoos to forego eligibility to turn pro in a week span.

The 6’9″ forward averaged 7.4 points per game and four rebounds per game in 2018-19.