BleedGopher
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per Marcus:
Bakary Konate first heard comparisons to Gorgui Dieng when he was being recruited by Louisville and Minnesota back in high school.
Konate, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center for the Gophers, was told by both Rick and Richard Pitino that he reminded them of a former Louisville big man now with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That was hard for Konate to grasp because he was still raw.
Dieng had won an NCAA title and was playing in the NBA.
"Rick Pitino told me, 'You have a lot of potential and you're going to be much better than Gorgui,' " Konate said. "I said, 'No way, this guy was a (first-round draft) pick.' I was just trying to get better every day."
Konate arrived in the U.S. from Spain two years ago hoping to pursue a Division I basketball scholarship. He planned to enroll at Louisville in 2014, but he needed more time to get a qualifying ACT score and be cleared by the NCAA.
Instead of following Dieng's footsteps to Louisville, Konate ended up playing for Richard Pitino at Minnesota.
And he already has the attention of NBA scouts after his improvement from his freshman year.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_29180106/gophers-like-progress-they-see-center-bakary-konate
Go Gophers!!
Bakary Konate first heard comparisons to Gorgui Dieng when he was being recruited by Louisville and Minnesota back in high school.
Konate, a 6-foot-11 sophomore center for the Gophers, was told by both Rick and Richard Pitino that he reminded them of a former Louisville big man now with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That was hard for Konate to grasp because he was still raw.
Dieng had won an NCAA title and was playing in the NBA.
"Rick Pitino told me, 'You have a lot of potential and you're going to be much better than Gorgui,' " Konate said. "I said, 'No way, this guy was a (first-round draft) pick.' I was just trying to get better every day."
Konate arrived in the U.S. from Spain two years ago hoping to pursue a Division I basketball scholarship. He planned to enroll at Louisville in 2014, but he needed more time to get a qualifying ACT score and be cleared by the NCAA.
Instead of following Dieng's footsteps to Louisville, Konate ended up playing for Richard Pitino at Minnesota.
And he already has the attention of NBA scouts after his improvement from his freshman year.
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_29180106/gophers-like-progress-they-see-center-bakary-konate
Go Gophers!!