First thing, I thought it was well written so kudos to MJH on that. The other thing is it was insightful to hear what Pitino thinks of Konate and his Wisconsin game performance. I am excited for his future in so many ways. I like the fact that he is a 21 year old freshman. Heck, the NBA thinks that a 22 year old draft pick is getting a bit old, so if he is a 4 year guy, it will be more likely he plays overseas than to worry about NBA agents or scouts trying to convince him to leave early, IF HE DEVELOPS INTO A BEAST. Okay there is no evidence of that yet, but I can dream.
I do think the maturity in age of both Konate and Diedhou is an ADVANTAGE for a freshman, in some respects. If I remember correctly, Konate is 1 of 14 kids in his family and he has 3 siblings that played basketball at the college level in the U.S. So his parents aren't exactly novices at this college evaluation thing. I think a lot of people, athletes or not, wished they waited and matured a bit before entering college, for that matter. A 21 year old freshman that will be a 24-25 year old senior sounds good as there is a big difference in maturity compared to a more conventional path. Probably, a bit more focused on what is important and a more serious student in the classroom and on the floor, generally speaking. Being good at listening is an underrated quality in a person and it sounds like Konate gets that. HUGE factor in development is the skill of listening, in any facet of life.
All that above obviously has to be accompanied by talent. Konate looks quick off his feet. We all know he is long. IMO,he has improved his positioning and he has vastly improving footwork. Gotta quit his reaching, at times, though that has really improved as well. Could be a great defensive player and a team leader, at some point. My guess is it has taken him some time to adapt even if he knows the English language well. He sounds respectful to his coaches and fellow players. Count me as a fan. Good article, MJH!!
This post was edited on 3/8 10:49 AM by Vifan
This post was edited on 3/8 11:03 AM by Vifan
I do think the maturity in age of both Konate and Diedhou is an ADVANTAGE for a freshman, in some respects. If I remember correctly, Konate is 1 of 14 kids in his family and he has 3 siblings that played basketball at the college level in the U.S. So his parents aren't exactly novices at this college evaluation thing. I think a lot of people, athletes or not, wished they waited and matured a bit before entering college, for that matter. A 21 year old freshman that will be a 24-25 year old senior sounds good as there is a big difference in maturity compared to a more conventional path. Probably, a bit more focused on what is important and a more serious student in the classroom and on the floor, generally speaking. Being good at listening is an underrated quality in a person and it sounds like Konate gets that. HUGE factor in development is the skill of listening, in any facet of life.
All that above obviously has to be accompanied by talent. Konate looks quick off his feet. We all know he is long. IMO,he has improved his positioning and he has vastly improving footwork. Gotta quit his reaching, at times, though that has really improved as well. Could be a great defensive player and a team leader, at some point. My guess is it has taken him some time to adapt even if he knows the English language well. He sounds respectful to his coaches and fellow players. Count me as a fan. Good article, MJH!!
This post was edited on 3/8 10:49 AM by Vifan
This post was edited on 3/8 11:03 AM by Vifan
