Diakite claims first career ACC Player of the Week honors

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Mamadi Diakite turns an offensive rebound into a layup against Tigers defender Clyde Trapp (Photo by John Markon).

Virginia redshirt senior Mamadi Diakite has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. It is the first such honor of Diakite’s career at UVA.

The 6-foot-9, 224-pound forward from Conakry, Guinea, averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, one block and one steal as Virginia (17-7, 9-5 ACC) posted victories over Notre Dame (50-49 OT) and North Carolina (64-62).

Diakite scored the tying bucket with 25.1 seconds remaining en route to an ACC-high 20 points along with five rebounds as the Cavaliers held off Notre Dame.

He added 15 points and four rebounds as Virginia posted back-to-back wins at North Carolina for the first time in school history.

In the two victories, Diakite shot 13 of 25 from the field and 9 of 11 from the charity stripe. The big man is averaging a team-high 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Virginia hosts Boston College on Wednesday. Tip-off at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 8 p.m. on ACC Network.