Could Zoom Diallo end up being the best point guard of the Mark Pope era so far?

After Jaland Lowe hit the transfer portal, it was clear that Mark Pope and the Kentucky coaching staff would be looking for a new point guard, and they found a really good one. Coach Pope brought in Washington transfer Zoom Diallo, who put up some very impressive numbers last season in the Big 10 for the Huskies.

Last year as a sophomore, Diallo averaged 15.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting a very impressive 48.9% from the field. Having a point guard who is able to knock down clutch free throws is very important, and Diallo shot 82.5% from the charity stripe. This is a good thing, knowing Diallo is a player who likes to take the ball to the rim.

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) defends Washington Huskies guard Zoom Diallo (5) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The one question fans have about the 6’4 point guard is his three-point shooting. In all honesty, Diallo isn’t known as much of a three-point shooter as he only shot 2.2 a game last season. He shot 31.5% from three on those 2.2 per game. The hope is that Diallo can make a jump as a three-point shooter in the Pope system just as Lamont Butler did in Pope’s first year at Kentucky.

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Bringing up the name Butler is important because I want to talk about why I think Diallo is going to have the best point guard season yet during the Pope era. Butler was incredible for the Wildcats on both ends of the floor. I think that he is a better defender than Diallo, but the Washington transfer is no slouch on defense, and he is elite on the other end of the floor.

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Washington Huskies guard Zoom Diallo (5) brings the ball up court against the Wisconsin Badgers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Diallo is going to get to the rim at a very high level and create a ton of…

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Publish date : 2026-06-15 19:20:00

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