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 opportunities for his teammates to score as well. I could see Diallo averaging over five assists per game this season in Lexington. A lot of the talk this offseason about the backcourt has been about Alex Wilkins, which is fair, as he will be a star, but Diallo is going to be a problem in the SEC.
After the 2026-27 season comes to an end, I believe that Diallo will be looked at as the best point guard so far in the Pope era, and that could hold up for many years to come. Diallo will head into the season as one of the most underrated guards in college hoops, but he will put the nation on notice quickly.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as Could Zoom Diallo end up being the best point guard of the Mark Pope era so far? .
