Providence Gets Commitment from 2016 Alpha Diallo of Brewster Academy

As quickly as a scholarship opened for next season, it was filled by Ed Cooley and the Providence Friars. Academic senior Junior Lomomba announced last week that he intends to "explore other opportunities that would benefit both my family and me." That opened up an additional scholarship for Cooley to play with for the 2016-17 season. Cooley, in what is Providence's second commitment in the last 7 days, added Brewster Academy senior Alpha Diallo on Tuesday. The Friars got a commitment from former Indiana forward Emmitt Holt on April 19th.

Diallo is a 6'6 wing player from NYC. Ranked 95th in ESPN.com's Top 100 for the Class of 2016, Diallo was one of the bigger stock-risers last summer, running with the Colorado Hawks on the adidas Gauntlet circuit. Diallo averaged 13.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 12 games for the Hawks on that adidas circuit, but his real coming out party was during the adidas Nations when he averaged 20.5 ppg and 10.7 rpg in six games for Team Africa. On Team Africa, Diallo played alongside past and present Providence targets Wenyen Gabriel (2016, Kentucky), Cheickna Dembele (2016, uncommitted) and Hamidou Diallo (2017, uncommitted).

Diallo joins 2016 point guard Maliek White and junior college transfer Emmitt Holt as part of Providence's incoming recruiting class for the 2016-17 season. The Friars also have George Mason transfer Isaiah Jackson eligible next season after he sat out the 2015-16 season, per NCAA transfer rules. Providence is currently out of scholarships, but Ben Bentil remains in the NBA Draft, though the rising junior hasn't hired an agent and still has the option to withdraw his name and return for another season at Providence. Cooley continues to search for additional size to add to the frontcourt, but either Bentil has to stay in the NBA Draft, or there will be another player leaving Providence with remaining eligibility in order for a scholarship to open for any future commitments for next season.