Mamadi Diakite to Virginia: Cavaliers Land 4-Star PF Prospect

Few class of 2016 prospects are oozing with as much untapped potential as forward Mamadi Diakite, and Virginia will have the opportunity to mold him into a star after securing a commitment on Tuesday.

Jamie Oakes of 247Sports passed along the news that Diakite picked Virginia over USC and Washington.

Diakite added there was an "80 percent" chance he would enroll as part of the 2015 class, per Oakes.        

According to 247Sports, the 6'9" power forward is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 9 player at his position and No. 36 overall recruit in the entire nation.

Diakite's rapid rise to prominence is surprising since he moved to Dyke, Virginia, from Guinea just last year. The African-born prospect has developed into a potential star, and Blue Ridge School head coach Bill Ramsey believes he has the tools to succeed despite his relative lack of experience, per WVIR (via NBC29.com):

"His experience level with basketball is not as much as it is with soccer, which he grew up playing, so he's had a lot to learn, but he certainly was born with everything he needs to make a splash," Ramsey said.

While Diakite is still adding polish to his overall game, it is difficult to deny the notion that his natural ability is right up there with any other prospect in the class.

Rodger Bohn of Slam Magazine considered Diakite to be an elite-level recruit after seeing him perform for the very first time:

Credit: 247Sports

Dinos Trigonis of Fullcourt Press agreed with that assessment and marveled at Diakite's rare combination of skills:

"

6'9 Mamadi Diakite has been arguably best '17 here at #NBPAtop100.First time seeing him,but challenge anyone to find 25 better JR prospects

— Rodger Bohn (@rodgerbohn) June 20, 2015"

Communication can be an issue at times when it comes to players who are transitioning from a foreign country, but as pointed out by Eric Bossi of Rivals.com, Diakite excels in that particular area:

Regardless of his obvious talent, Diakite is still somewhat of a wild card since he is still picking up the game. That is likely why there was such an eclectic mix of schools vying for his services.

In addition to big-time programs such as Virginia, Louisville, Kansas and Kentucky kicking the tires on Diakite, mid-major Loyola (Maryland) even made an offer, according to 247Sports.

Diakite had a tough decision on his hands since he had to determine which school would be best for his development, and he apparently feels as though he has found the right fit.

Raw talent may be enough to make Diakite a fleeting factor as a freshman, but he most definitely needs to be refined before he can truly become a star at the collegiate level.

If he is managed and coached properly during the 2016-17 campaign, though, he has a real opportunity to become something special.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.