Courtesy: Kansas State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of high school guard Brian Patrick (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Boyd Anderson) on the first day of the Spring National Signing Period on Wednesday.
A 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard, Patrick comes to K-State from Boyd Anderson High School, where he led the Cobras to an 18-10 overall record and a berth in the 2016 FHSAA Class 6A State Championship. He averaged 17.8 points on 51.8 percent shooting (175-of-338), including 42.1 percent (59-of-140) from 3-point range, to go with averages of 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He was named Second Team All-Broward County among 8A-7A-6A programs by the Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Patrick is the second prep player from the Fort Lauderdale area to sign with the Wildcats, joining big man James Love III (American Heritage) who signed during the Fall National Signing Period in November.
“We are excited to welcome Brian and his family to K-State and our basketball family,” said Weber. “One of our recruiting priorities was getting better from the 3-point line. (Former K-State player) Martavious (Irving) came to us and told us about a kid from his high school (Boyd Anderson) who was having a breakout senior year. After doing some research, (assistant coach) Chester and I made a number of trips to Fort Lauderdale to see Brian and we knew that he would be a great fit for our shooting needs and for the team.
“Brian give us a big-time perimeter shooter with tremendous range who has legitimate size (6-foot-5). He connected on better than 42 percent from long range as a senior, averaging over two made 3-pointers per game. He also has tremendous athleticism and a great jumping ability. He comes from a high school program with great tradition who always turn out tough players. He broke his leg as a junior and missed out on some time to get exposure in the summer, but he’s made the most of his senior season.”
Boyd Anderson is the famed high school alma mater of Naismith Hall of Famer and K-State alumnus Mitch Richmond (1986-88) as well as Irving (2009-13), who is part of the winningest senior class in school history.
Patrick transferred to Boyd Anderson for his senior season after playing two varsity seasons (2013-15) at Cardinal Gibbons High School where he helped the Chiefs to a 56-7 overall record as a sophomore and junior. As a reserve, he helped the squad to a 32-1 overall record in 2014-15 en route to the 5A District 16 title and the Class 5A State Championship. In the championship run, the Chiefs knocked off current Wildcat Barry Brown and Gibbs High School in the state semifinals to advance to the title game.
Patrick is the third member of the 2016 Signing Class, joining the earlier announcement of Love and Xavier Sneed (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) who inked with the Wildcats during the Fall National Signing Period in November.
Brian Patrick
6-5 // 180 // SG
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
High School: Boyd Anderson (coached by Eugene Richardson)
AAU: South Florida Elite (coached by Cedric Smith)
Primary Recruiter: Chester Frazier
Bio:
• Spent his senior season at Boyd Anderson, where he helped the Cobras to a 5-win improvement to an 18-10 overall record and a trip to the Regional Semifinals of the 2016 FHSAA Class 6A State Championship… The squad lost to rival and eventual state champion Dillard, 55-52, on Feb. 16.
• Named Second Team All-Broward County 8A-7A-6A by the Florida Sun-Sentinel as a senior… Also selected to the preseason All-Broward County team by the Sun-Sentinel.
• Averaged 17.8 points on 51.8 percent shooting (175-of-338), including 42.1 percent (59-of-140) from 3-point range, to go with 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks as a senior in 2015-16… Also connected on 72.7 percent (72-of-99) from the free throw line… Shot 58.6 percent (116-of-198) from inside the 3-point line… Played in all 27 games.
• Led the Cobras in scoring, field goals made and attempted, 3-point field goals made and attempted, rebounding, offensive and defensive rebounds, while he was second in steals and blocks.
• Scored in double figures in 25 of 27 games played with 9 20-point games… Scored a season-high 29 points on 10-of-16 field goals vs. Stranahan (1/7/16).
• Tallied 7 double-doubles (points/rebounds), grabbing a season-best 13 rebounds vs. Pembroke Pines Charter (12/10/15).
• Recorded at least one 3-point field goal in 25 of 27 games, including 2 or more 18 times… Knocked down a season-high 4 3-pointers on six occasions.
• Played two varsity seasons at Class 5A power Cardinal Gibbons, where he helped the Chiefs to a 56-7 overall record from 2013-15, including a 32-1 mark and the Class 5A state title as a junior in 2014-15.
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Courtesy: K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of high school guard Cartier Diarra (Florence, S.C./West Florence) on the first day of the Spring National Signing Period on Wednesday.
A 6-foot-4, 185-pound point guard, Diarra is highly-regarded among the recruiting services, ranking as the No. 54 point guard in the nation by 247Sports and rated the fourth-best player in the state of South Carolina. He ranked No. 11 on a list of the Top 25 players in South Carolina by the Charlotte Observer.
“It’s great to welcome Cartier and his family to K-State and our basketball family,” said Weber. “When we were evaluating our needs for the coming year and our available scholarships, we knew that we needed depth in our backcourt – someone who could give us some point guard play but also play some at the two. Cartier’s name came up many times in recruiting circles and we were able to jump in at the right time and get him on a visit.
“Cartier is a versatile combo guard who has exceptional athleticism and strong basketball IQ. He is great in the transition game and has a unique ability to get to the basket to score or to drop it to a teammate. He’s only seriously been playing basketball since his sophomore year and has skill development has just gotten better and better. That’s credit to not only his work ethic but to his high school coaches and mentors. He’s very committed and hungry to improving his game.”
Diarra helped West Florence to consecutive 19-win seasons the past two seasons, including a 19-6 overall record and a trip to the Class 4A State Tournament as a senior in 2015-16. He was named to the Class 4A All-State team by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) and was selected as the Region 6-4A and Florence (S.C.) Morning News Player of the Year. He recently posted a team-high 15 points and 7 rebounds to help South Carolina beat North Carolina, 114-91, in the annual Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic on March 19.
During his 3-year varsity career at West Florence, Diarra scored in double figures 50 times with 16 20-point games, while he tallied 27 career double-doubles and eight triple-doubles (points/rebounds/assists). He posted a 3.14 career assist-to-turnover ratio (330 assists to 105 turnovers). In all, he averaged 13.4 points on 55.3 percent shooting (311-of-562), including 35.6 percent (47-of-132) from 3-point range, with 7.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 69 career games played.
Originally from Manhattan, N.Y., Diarra moved to Florence, S.C., during high school where Sharone Wright served as a mentor. Wright played at Clemson (1991-94) and was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft.
Diarra is the fourth member of the 2016 Signing Class, joining the earlier announcement of Brian Patrick (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Boyd Anderson) as well as James Love III (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./American Heritage) and Xavier Sneed (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) who signed in November.
Cartier Diarra
6-4 // 185 // PG
Florence, S.C. // Originally from Manhattan, N.Y.
High School: West Florence (coached by Peter Ellis)
AAU: Flight 22 (coached by Nathan Faulk)
Primary Recruiter: Chester Frazier
Bio:
• A highly-regarded prospect by the recruiting services, ranking as the No. 54 point guard in the nation according to 247Sports, including the fourth-best player in the state of South Carolina… He was rated as the No. 11 player on the list of the Top 25 players in South Carolina by the Charlotte Observer.
• Led West Florence to back-to-back 19-win seasons as a junior and senior, including a 19-6 overall record and a trip to the Class 4A State Tournament in 2015-16.
• Selected to the 2016 South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) Class 4A All-State team as a senior… Also named the Region 6-4A and Florence (S.C.) Morning News Player of the Year.
• Named MVP of the Gatorade Turkey Shootout and Pepsi Carolina Classic.
• Invited to play in the Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic on March 19, which annually pits the top seniors from both North and South Carolina… Posted a team-high 15 points and 7 rebounds in helping South Carolina defeat North Carolina, 114-91.
• Averaged 13.4 points in his 3-year varsity career on 55.3 percent shooting (311-of-562), including 35.6 percent (47-of-132) from 3-point range, with 7.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in 69 games played… Connected on 69.5 percent (257-of-370) from the free throw line.
• Totaled 926 points, 535 rebounds, 330 assists, 175 steals and 92 blocks in his career.
• Scored in double figures 50 times in his career, including 16 20-point games.
• Tallied 27 career double-double with 8 triple-doubles (points/rebounds/assists).
• Posted a 3.14 career assist-to-turnover ratio (330 assists to 105 turnovers).
• Averaged 18.8 points on 62.7 percent shooting (158-of-252), including 32.7 percent (17-of-52) from 3-point range, to go with 11.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.1 blocks as a senior in 2015-16… Also connected on 77.4 percent (137-of-177) from the free throw line… Shot 70.5 percent (141-of-200) from inside 3-point range… Played in all 25 games.
• Led the Knights in rebounding, assists and steals and was second in scoring and blocks as a senior.
• Scored in double figures in 24 of 25 games played with 12 20-point games… Scored a season-high 26 points on 10-of-11 field goals vs. Wilson (1/5/16).
• Tallied 22 double-doubles (21 points/rebounds and 1 points/assists) in 25 games.
• Collected seven triple-doubles (points/rebounds/assists), including a stretch of three in a row.
• Registered double-digit rebounds 21 times, including a season-high 15 vs. Socastee (1/29/16).
• Dished out double-digit assists 8 times, including a season-high 13 vs. Lake City (12/29/15).
• Grabbed at least 2 steals in every game, including a season-high 7 done 3 times.
• Posted at least 1 block in every game, including a season-high 4 vs. Hartsville (12/5/15).
• Had his best all-around game as a senior vs. Hartsville (12/5/15) with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 steals and 4 blocks.
• Averaged 12.9 points on 52.6 percent shooting (110-of-209), including 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from 3-point range, to go with 7.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior in 2014-15.
West Florence Head Coach Peter Ellis:
“Over the years, I think the most impressive thing about Cartier (Diarra) has been his rate of improvement. It has been staggering. He didn’t even play as a ninth grader so to see how much better he has gotten from his 10th grade year and on is a credit to his tremendous work ethic. He’s like a sponge. The more coaching he gets the better he wants to become. Obviously, he’s a physically gifted player with all the tools but also a very heady player who just makes his team better. I call him a ‘Jack of all trades’ – he can handle the ball, score it, rebound and defend – he is just fundamentally sound. But I think his greatest strength is his ability to get to the rim. He can finish at the basket, but also dish to a teammate. He is just so creative at getting to the rim. I think K-State got a steal with Cartier. Coaches (Bruce) Weber and (Chester) Frazier were some of the first coaches to recruit him and he has just blown up since then. I think his ceiling is high at K-State.”
