Yakhya Diop: Cape Town Tigers
Cape Town's Academy representation is 17-year-old Yakhya Diop hailing from Senegal.
Yakhya Diop
Yakhya Drop is a young promising player who is exactly the type of player that the BAL Elevate program benefits. Through this experience his name will now be on the recruiting/scouting radar & most importantly he will get valuable professional experience at a young age in an African environment that isn’t foreign to him. Keep in mind that he is young & extremely raw! This experience should push him to improve due to the nature of teaching he will receive, real time game experience & the constant opportunity to test himself against Africa’s best.
Positives
Diop’s positives come in quick flashes due to the early stage he is in his development. Right now he is a rim protecting, shot contester who chases offensive boards with effort. With his 7’0 frame I would like to see him deter a bit more shots at the rim because when he does its tough to score.
Yakhya Diop plays with effort plain & simple, he fights for offensive rebounds creating extra possessions.
Diop sets solid screens and is effective when he does roll, I would like to see him develop a hook/drop-step to solidify a foundation for his offensive game. He is not a dud at the free-throw line & his shooting mechanics are smooth. Diop also recognizes fast break opportunities & is a swift outlet passer. The wonderful thing about Diop’s game is that his effort is consistent, he just needs to add a bit more technique/skill to his game.
Improvements:
As stated before Yakhya Diop is raw and his improvements have to do with small details, which is a sign of promise. Regarding technique, learning how to do early work by sealing defenders, gaining comfort with his footwork, and being patient in the post when catching the ball is a start. Offensively, I want to see solid screen setting & offensive rebounding consistently. At times Diop floats, more off-ball movement from him via weak-side cuts on drives as well as making himself available to receive dump-offs/lobs. As I stated before I want him to be more of a rim deterrent as a 7-footer, he can be a bit jumpy instead of walling up. I have also seen Diop slide his feet on occasion so it’s not out of question to want more out of him in space.
Projection:
Diop’s true projection is contingent on how well he can be an active shot-blocking big who is versatile enough to contain guards in space for periods. I’m hoping he can develop touch around the basket via push shots, hooks & early seals. We will be monitoring his progress in the coming months.