FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University men's basketball head coach Dave Paulsen announced Wednesday that Bahaide "Daddy" Haidara has signed a national letter of intent to join the Patriots this fall.
 
A 6-foot-7-inch guard, Haidara is a product of Montréal, Canada and attended the city's Dawson College High School. He is ranked the No. 11 2019 prospect in Canada by NorthPoleHoops.com.
 
"We are very excited to welcome Daddy into our Mason Basketball Family," head coach Dave Paulsen said. "First and foremost, he is a phenomenal young man with a great personality. He possesses the character traits we find to be so important in our program. In addition, we love the versatility and the dynamic presence he will bring to the court. He is a big guard with the ability to handle the ball, pass, and create for others. He also has a built-in ability to score. We are excited about his skill set now, and even more excited about his potential to become an outstanding player in our program."
 
Daddy [pronounced Dahd-ZEE] is the first Canadian to play for Mason since All-CAA forward and Peterborough, Ontario, product Jesse Young suited up for the Patriots from 1999-2003.
 
Haidara starred for Dawson College in Montréal, where he was a three-time All-RSEQ League selection. As a third-year player, he won the RSEQ league scoring title (21.9 ppg) while ranking fourth in the conference in rebounding (8.0 rpg) and steals (2.4 spg). He garnered First Team All-RSEQ honors in 2019.
 
He played his AAU ball for the prestigious Northern Kings franchise, which has produced former Gonzaga All-American Kevin Pangos, as well as Matt Atewe (Washington), Duane Notice (South Carolina) and Corey Johnson (Harvard).
 
Haidara comes to Mason as Canadian talent continues to make a pivotal impact within the American college ranks. The NorthPoleHoops.com rankings also include players committed to Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Wake Forest, Cal and Ole Miss, among others.
 
Haidara joins an incoming class of Mason student-athletes that includes guard Xavier Johnson (Gaithersburg, Md.) and forward Josh Oduro (Haymarket, Va.).