Photo courtesy of VT Athletics – Virginia Tech has picked up 6-4 shooting guard Cartier Diarra as a graduate transfer from Kansas State.
Virginia Tech head men’s basketball coach Mike Young has announced the signing of grad transfer Cartier Diarra.
Diarra, a guard from Kansas State, will be able to play immediately for the 2020-21 academic year and has one season of eligibility remaining. One of the more versatile players in the Big 12, Diarra was a three-year letterwinner for the Wildcats and scored in double figures 40 times.
"We couldn’t be more excited that Cartier decided to finish his career as a Hokie," Young said. "He brings immediate experience and depth to our backcourt and boasts tremendous playmaking ability. We are familiar with Cartier as a player and a person with Chester Frazier coaching him at Kansas State. We are looking forward to getting back on the floor when the time allows and are thrilled Cartier will be a part of that."
Facts and figures:
Cartier Diarra; 6’4", 185 lbs. – guard; Florence, S.C.; West Florence High School.
At Kansas State, Diarra played in 95 games, starting 58 of them. He was a 2020 first-team Academic All-Big 12. In 2019-20, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game and was one of the top seven stat lines in college basketball.
He was one of only two Big–12 players to rank in the league’s top five in assists and steals and the top 15 for scoring this past season. His five 20+-point games led the Wildcats 2019-20. He earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors after scoring a career-high 25 points against Tulsa thanks to a career-best six 3-pointers He posted the first 10-assist game by a Kansas State player since 2014 and led the Wildcats in assists in 21 games last year.
He was born in Manhattan, N.Y., the son of Sirima Diarra and Danyelle Lee. He has three siblings, Abraham, Cyncere and LadiRoyale. At Kansas State, he majored in human development and family sciences.
