Could Jorge Diaz Graham be the ACC Rookie of the Year?

Could Jorge Diaz Graham be the ACC Rookie of the Year? The answer is unlikely. However, if you shift the lens of the question to ask if Jorge Diaz Graham could become a first-round NBA Draft pick, then that answer is yes; in time, he could be.

There is a palpable buzz coming out of pre-season Pittsburgh practices. Of course, John Hughley is coming off a 14.8 points, 7.9 rebound season. Starter Jamarius Burton is back, and 1,000 career point scorer Nelly Cummings transferred in. However, from those who have sat courtside at Pittsburgh this pre-season, a common conversation topic is, who is this Jorge Diaz Graham?

The media members approved to attend the ACC Media Day voted Pittsburgh to finish 14th out of 15 teams in the league this season. Of the 101 votes cast for ACC Freshman of the year, not a single one was for Jorge Diaz Graham.

So why is the talk about Diaz Graham?

There is an unknown element to Jorge Diaz Graham, the 6-foot-11 freshman from the Canary Islands. He played high school ball for one year in the United States with Coach Jim Carr on the Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy Academic team. He averaged 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 44.0 percent from three.

Diaz Graham was the No. 81 player in the 2022 On3 150; no other service had him in the top 100. He took official visits to George Washington, UMass, Pittsburgh, and Weber State.

Diaz Graham is a lengthy wing forward. He has a fluid athleticism and can really shoot the ball at a high clip; comfortable off movement or off the catch. He has confidence with the ball in his hands and can create space to get his shot off one and two dribbles.

Earmark the name, and see how he continues to progress, as the freshman will have to continue adding strength, and he will need to develop on the defensive end of the floor. However, walking out of Pittsburgh practices, NBA personnel are starting to ask questions, gathering the background information of Jorge Diaz Graham.