To the surprise of no one, Mamadou Diarra chose UConn over VCU on Friday. We'll have a story here soon. Here's some video and pictures:

A couple of funny and interesting quotes and excerpts:

Woodstock coach Tom Espinosa:

“What’s important to me is that you become a Division 1 person. I can tell you this -- Mamadou is a Division 1 person.”

Diarra:

(on Kevin Ollie)

“I just feel like whatever he says, he means what he says. He believes in his players, and he’ll get the best out of me.”

(on how tough the decision was)

“It was tough, because it’s four years of my life. You see a lot of kids transferring out of school, you don’t want to be one of those kids. It’s a big decision.”

Diarra spoke with VCU coach Will Wade by phone before the presser, because he didn't want him to find out about his decision via social media.

Funny story Diarra told about playing with Amida Brimah during a recent visit to UConn:

“I was trying to figure out why Daniel Hamilton was leading the team in rebounding, and not Brimah. I was on (Brimah's) team, he blocked a shot, the ball was right next to him. He’s looking at me, waiting for me to get the ball, and I was like, ‘That’s your rebond, man.’”

“Deep down inside, I always really knew I wanted to go here. I wanted to make sure it was the right decision. I had a good relationship with (VCU’s) coach, too.”

(on whether Shaka Smart's departure to Texas affected his decision)

“That didn’t affect me at all, because I wasn’t getting recruited by Shaka. I was getting recruited by Coach Will Wade.”

*** Meanwhile, Diarra's Woodstock teammate, Class of 2017 combo guard (and UConn target) Hamidou Diallo had this to say about where UConn stands with him right now:

“Right now, I’d have to say, if I were to commit, I would be going to UConn. That’s the school that’s been showing me the most love, and I have the best relationship with the head coach. For right now, though.”

PC, Minnesota, USC, Iowa State and Wake Forest are among his other suitors.

Putnam Science Academy is a small, private school located in the northeast corner of Connecticut that is home to two highly-coveted prep basketball prospects -- Mamadou Diarra, a 6-foot-8 Class of 2016 power forward, and Hamidou Diallo, a 6-5, Class of '17 swingman.

Recently, it was announced that the school will be closed down next month for at least the next two years, due to a lack of funding. However, the basketball program will be absorbed by Woodstock Academy, a CIAC school located only about 10 minutes up the road.

The CIAC may not be overjoyed by the move -- it's monitoring the situation -- but there's little doubt that UConn is happy about the fact that two of its coveted recruits are remaining only about a half-hour away from Storrs.

UConn likes Diarra, and the feeling is mutual.

"I know Mamadou has said that UConn has always been his dream school," said Putnam coach Tom Espinosa.

Minnesota, VCU, Seton Hall, St. John's and Kansas State are among the schools that have offered Diarra. He'll start lining up his official visits for the fall pretty soon.

But UConn really likes Diallo. Of course, so do dozens of other programs, including Providence, Iowa State and Temple, among others. At the PSA gym on Wednesday night, UConn (Glen Miller), Providence (assistant Brian Blaney, George's son), Syracuse (assistant Gerry McNamara), Dayton (head coach Archie Miller) and VCU  (new head coach Will Wade) gathered to watch an open gym with Diallo and Diarra.

Diallo and Diarra both hail from Queens. Both attended UConn's First Night festivities last October.

"It's wide-open for both of them, to be honest," Espinosa said of the duo's recruitment. "They're both good kids. The best thing for both of them was getting out of the city."

Espinosa will take his three returning players -- Diallo, Diarra and Brandon Hurst, a Class of '17 guard from East Hartford who is more of a Division 2/3 prospect -- with him to Woodstock, where he was recently hired as assistant athletic director. He's in the process of recruiting numerous other players to fill out the team, which will be recognized as a postgrad team (none of the players on Woodstock's current roster will play for this team. Woodsock's main varsity team will remain in the CIAC). Any player recruited to play basketball for Espinosa's postgrad team at Woodstock can't play any other varsity sport, unless Woodstock decides to offer other postgrad sports. For example, Diallo, Diarra or Hurst can't play track or baseball, etc., at Woodstock, unless the school begins a new program similar to what it's doing with basketball.

Espinosa's team will remain an independent but play all of the NEPSAC teams next winter and have a chance to compete for the national prep championship.