Cards Sign Three in Men's Basketball
November 15, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Three players, including a pair of junior college standouts and one prep star, have signed national letters-of-intent to continue their basketball playing careers at the University of Louisville.
The list includes: Nate Daniels, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from San Diego, Ca. who earned first team NJCAA All-America honors at Broward Community College in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. last season; Nouha Diakite, (pronounced NO-uh dee-AH-ki-tay) a 6-10, 215-pound center from Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan.; and Brandon Jenkins, a 6-3, 175-pound guard from Southeastern High School in Detroit, Mich.
Nate Daniels
Daniels was the No. 2 scorer nationally in the National Junior College Athletic Association as a freshman last season at Broward Community College in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., averaging 30.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He scored over 40 points four times and over 50 twice. He shot 63 percent from the field, including 37 percent from three-point range, and hit 74 percent of his free throws while earning conference and state junior college player of the year honors.
"Nate is a very explosive scorer with outstanding range," said Pitino. "He has the potential to be a good low post player as well a perimeter player because of his size. He can be a bigger version of Reece Gaines, but different. He's much more of a three (small forward) than a two (shooting guard). He's such a prolific scorer."
He scored 35 points, hitting six-of-12 three point goals, and grabbed eight rebounds in Broward's season-opening 99-91 victory last Saturday over St. Petersburg College, which won the state junior college title last year.
"Nate is a tremendous scorer, a great athlete and has a very quick release," said Broward Coach Bob Starkman. "Louisville and Nate are a great match."
Daniels is the top-rated junior college small forward in the nation by The Sporting News, which ranks him as the fourth-best JC prospect in the nation overall. A preseason first-team All-America choice by Street & Smith's Basketball Yearbook, he is rated second among all JC small forwards by Van Coleman's Future Stars Magazine.
Daniels originally signed with Fresno State and spent one redshirt year there before transferring to Broward. He averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots as a senior at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass. He earned All-CIF second team honors as a senior at Escondido High School in 1999.
He also considered St. John's, Texas Tech, Florida International and Duquesne before signing with the Cardinals.
Nouha Diakite
Through five games this season, Diakite is averaging 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots for 5-0 Barton County Community College, the nation's top-ranked junior college team. He was named the MVP of the Ozark Medical Center Tipoff Classic in West Plains, Mo., after totalling 24 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots in the final game against Motlow College.
"Nouha is a terrific shot blocker," said Pitino. "He's a great runner, hard worker and outstanding rebounder. He provides our team with more shot-blocking ability and will play immediately for us, as will Nate. He's a killer worker; he really gets after it. He plays against great competition every day."
He played last season at Barton County Community College behind Robert Whaley, the top-rated junior college center in the nation. He averaged six points and five rebounds as a freshman as Barton County posted a 22-10 record, and his stock rose in summer camp circles as one of the nation's top junior college centers. He was second on the team with 40 blocked shots. He is rated third among all JC centers by Van Coleman's Future Stars Magazine.
Diakite also has experience in international competition. He averaged 11.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in leading his team to the 1999 France Junior Championship. He also played for the national team of Mali in the African Championships in Morocco in 1998.
He chose to attend U of L after also considering Alabama and Wyoming.
Brandon Jenkins
An all-state and all-city selection, Jenkins averaged 21.3 points, 5.7 assists and 5.2 rebounds as a junior last season as Southeastern posted a 16-2 record and reached the second round of the playoffs before falling to the eventual champion. A member of the National Honor Society, he has started three seasons at Southeastern.
"Brandon is an outstanding student-athlete," said Pitino. "He has great size for a point guard and is a great leader who really understands the game through a coach's eye. He reminds me of Mark Jackson (whom Pitino coached with the New York Knicks) with a little more athleticism. That's about the highest compliment I could give him."
A McDonald's All-America nominee, Jenkins is rated No. 41 overall and sixth nationally among point guards by ESPN; listed 38th nationally by the Hoop Scoop, 46th by The Sporting News and 45th overall by Rivalshoops.com. His cousin, Jermaine Jackson, is a former guard for the Toronto Raptors.
"Brandon has a great ability to get the ball in the right place at the right time," said Southeastern Coach Lewis Ballard. "He's a solid defender, has a real knack for the game, and is very coachable. He's a good leader and sets a good example. He's a better person than he is a basketball player."
Jenkins also ran cross country at Southeastern, earning all-city honors as a sophomore and senior.
He had narrowed his collegiate options to Missouri, Texas and Pittsburgh before signing with the Cardinals.
