University of Connecticut Athletics
Diarra To Become Student Assistant Coach
6/12/2019 11:13:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications
June 12, 2019
STORRS, Conn. – Multifaceted, complicating patella femoral pathologies, all chronic knee conditions, have caused UConn redshirt junior forward Mamadou Diarra (Queens, N.Y.) to make the decision to discontinue his college basketball playing career. He has been granted a medical disqualification and will continue his association with the UConn program in 2019-20 as a student assistant coach.
A medical disqualification, granted when a student-athlete is injured to the point where it is not in his best interest to continue to play, allows Diarra to keep his athletic scholarship, but it will not be counted against the number of scholarships allowed the basketball program under NCAA rules.
"Unfortunately, Mamadou has endured some difficult circumstances physically since he arrived at UConn," UConn coach Dan Hurley said. "We cannot, in good conscience, ask him to continue attempts to rehab to the point where he could compete at this level, knowing it could severely impact him later in life.
"Everyone in the program has the utmost respect for Mo as a person and as a player and in the way he has handled a tough situation. We are extremely pleased that he will remain with the program as he pursues his degree, mentoring our student-athletes on a daily basis."
As a student assistant coach, Diarra can be part of the Huskies' bench staff, helping to provide instruction to the UConn players during practices and games.
"After discussing my situation with the medical staff, the UConn coaches and my family, we have decided this is the best course of action for me at this time," Diarra said. "While it is difficult for me to stop my college playing career, I am grateful to be able to remain with the program, and help the team in any way I can."
Diarra, a consensus Top 100 recruit coming out of Putnam Science Academy, was diagnosed before his freshman season (2016-17) with chondromalacia patella and patellofemoral syndrome, which produces significant knee discomfort with the stress that high-level basketball competition demands. He sat out the season, in the hope that treatment and rehabilitation would improve his condition.
He appeared in 31 games in 2017-18, averaging 2.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and shooting 54.8 percent overall in 10.1 minutes per game.
During summer workouts in 2018, however, Diarra suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, which required surgery. He appeared in just two games for a combined six minutes in 2018-19.
With Diarra's situation resolved, UConn currently has 11 players on scholarship for 2019-20 -- seven returning lettermen, redshirt freshman Akok Akok, who will be assuming a scholarship, incoming freshmen James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney, and junior RJ Cole, who will sit out the season as a transfer student. With UConn's loss of one scholarship due to self-imposed sanctions, the Huskies have one open scholarship remaining.
