Georgia Tech added the final piece for the 2023-24 basketball team on Friday with the signing of J Addison School (Ont.) forward Ibrahima Sacko. Sacko is originally from Guinea in West Africa and he has played international basketball and is considered a high-level defensive player with an impressive frame with a seven-foot wingspan on a six-foot-six frame. He was the defensive player of the year in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association last year.

Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire has been adding a lot of length and athleticism to his team since taking over the Yellow Jacket program this spring and Sacko is another player who hits multiple checkmarks for the coach.

“The biggest thing Ibrahima brings is elite defense,” said Stoudamire in a school release. “He has a chance to be one of the best defenders in the country with his size and strength. The way he can defend on or off the ball is something I haven’t seen in someone his age, and he will make an impact on that end from day one. Offensively, he’s a downhill driver who can finish at the rim, but with time he has the potential to score at all three levels.”

Sacko picked the Jackets over finalists Oregon, Xavier, and BYU.

Rivals Basketball Analyst Russ Wood gave his thoughts on Sacko's game after studying his highlight tape:

Ibrahima Sacko appeared in nine Uplay Canada EYBL games in the spring. I just watched video from several of those games.

Per Synergy Sports Technology, Sacko averaged 13.3 points per game on shooting splits of 50%/7.1%/50%. He posted 32 rebounds (nine OREB), eight assists, six steals and 23 turnovers.

Sacko mainly scores around the rim – 74 percent of his shots – with 21.6 percent of his shots around the rim being dunks. He catches almost everything cleanly and is a good finisher. He seldom played off two but was good at doing it. Runs in transition and loves to spot up in the corner. His team used flex screens for Sacko to cut off along the baseline for a catch and finish. He changes speeds well off the bounce and is a capable driver both ways, but he prefers to go right. If he finishes on the left side of the rim he still uses his right hand to score. A good athlete, Sacko generally made good decisions with the ball in his hands and can create a little bit off the bounce.

He is a good on-ball defender but, like most incoming freshmen, his off-the-ball defense needs improvement. Sacko can grab a rebound and start the break. He is not a jet but has good speed. In the games I watched his team switched on ball screens so I have no opinion on how well he defends a pick-and-roll ball handler.

The camera angles varied a little from game to game but I came away doubting the 6-foot-7 listings I’ve seen. Looked more like 6-foot-5 to me on video.

He will fulfill the 12th scholarship spot for the Yellow Jackets for the upcoming season. The Jackets also added a walk-on transfer from Air Force guard Carter Murphy this month as well.