‘One of my dream schools growing up.’ Five-star guard Zoom Diallo says Gonzaga visit exceeded expectations
Zoom Diallo has taken two trips to Gonzaga over the last five months since becoming a highly regarded prospect coveted by many of the nation’s top college basketball programs.
His father still has photographic evidence of Zoom’s original visit to the Spokane campus, back when the five-star recruit still had some anonymity.
Didi Diallo scrolled through a cell phone gallery to pull up those images Saturday night after Gonzaga put on a 3-point shooting show for the visiting Curtis High (Tacoma) guard, dispatching Portland 115-75 at McCarthey Athletic Center.
In one photo, an elementary school-aged Zoom is seen standing beside the iconic bronze Bulldog statue that sits behind the Kennel’s north entrance – his head coming up just past the eyes of the 5-foot metal sculpture.
Without knowing it, Gonzaga made a favorable impression on Diallo well before the Bulldogs figured out what he could do with a ball in his hands.
The state’s top-rated recruit in the 2024 class traveled across the Cascades on a few occasions to play in Spokane Hoopfest – he has two 5-on-5 titles to his name – and he also competed in youth state tournaments held at The Warehouse facility owned by Zag legend John Stockton.
“Gonzaga was one of my dream schools growing up,” Diallo told The Spokesman-Review after Saturday’s game. “Just watching them play, just seeing them. … Growing up as a Washington kid you see all the players, Gonzaga players. You’re always tuned in to watch Gonzaga because they’re a powerhouse and always good.”
Diallo’s first documented trips to Spokane came around the fifth grade, he estimated. The 6-foot-4, 204-pound prospect went back to Gonzaga last September in an unofficial capacity and the Bulldogs rolled out the red carpet for Diallo during his official visit Saturday and Sunday.
Diallo, whose first name is Vazoumana, narrowed his recruiting list down to six schools on Thursday. He’ll either be playing college basketball at Gonzaga, Arizona, Washington, USC, Florida State or Kansas.
In many ways, Diallo’s experience on Saturday affirmed everything he thought he knew about the Gonzaga program – and in some ways exceeded his own high expectations.
Coaches invited Diallo into the locker room at halftime, then again afterward to listen in on Mark Few’s postgame speech. As they often do with top-flight recruits, GU students occupying the Kennel Club section serenaded Diallo with a chant, “We want Zoom, we want Zoom,” during the first half.
“It was crazy. I came here and I heard a lot of things about Gonzaga,” Diallo said. “The fans, the student section, just the atmosphere. It was what I was told and even better. Just seeing everybody come together, it being a sold out crowd, me walking around everywhere, everybody coming to say hi to me and stuff. That meant a lot. Coming to take photos, even chanting my name. That was special right there.”
The composite ranking tool used by 247Sports.com – a compilation of major recruiting services – considers Diallo a four-star prospect, but 247 analysts have pegged the Curtis High junior as a five-star player and the nation’s 11th overall recruit.
Just four other players with five-star 247 ratings have signed to play at Gonzaga: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Suggs, Hunter Sallis and Zach Collins.
In last year’s Washington 4A quarterfinal, Diallo poured in 24 points to help lead Curtis past Gonzaga Prep before scoring 22 more two rounds later to edge Mount Si for the state title.
As a junior, he’s averaging 20.5 points per game according to Scorebook Live. Diallo’s Vikings are 12-3 this season and they’ve dropped just one game to an in-state opponent. One of Curtis’ three losses came to Lake City and senior post Blake Buchanan, a Virginia commit.
From Gonzaga’s standpoint, it didn’t hurt that Diallo’s official visit coincided with one the best perimeter shooting performances in McCarthey Athletic Center history. Four Bulldog guards made multiple 3-pointers, helping GU finish 17 of 34 from behind the arc – one shy of the building record.
“One thing I see is they let their guards go,” Diallo said. “They let their guards have the freedom, within their offense, to take shots they work on. I came in and saw the shootaround. All the stuff they worked on in shootaround is what they applied in the game. They emphasize letting their guards shoot the 3 ball and they obviously hit 17 3s today, they’re shooting the ball with confidence. That means a lot. Knowing the coaching staff has confidence in their players to showcase what they work on, that means a lot right there.”
Gonzaga’s coaching staff broke down how the Bulldogs would utilize Diallo, a skilled outside shooter with a good frame for his position who has the ability to play in transition, get downhill and finish at the rim.
“Coach Few was just telling me just because of my physique and my strong frame, he said I’m able to get out in that transition, get to the lane, dish out to others and knock that 3 ball like all the other guards,” Diallo said. “So he was just saying, just giving me the ball in my hands, just being that guy at that point guard position.”
Diallo wouldn’t be arriving on GU’s campus until the fall of 2024, meaning he could have a chance to succeed Gonzaga’s current point guard, Nolan Hickman, who also hails from the Seattle-Tacoma area. Diallo’s familiar with Hickman and said the two have connected via social media, checking in on each other from time to time.
“Just from him being around my area, just watching him play and stuff like that,” Diallo said. “He’s seen me play on social media platforms so just saying what’s up and keeping it mutual and stuff like that.”
Diallo and his parents stuck around for about an hour after Saturday’s game. The recruit carved out time to meet fans, pose for photos and shoot around with the young children of Gonzaga’s assistant coaches.
Diallo planned to meet with coaches on Sunday and take a tour of campus before flying home Monday morning.
“We love it here,” Didi Diallo said. “Great place and people are nice.”