Diallo decision dissected

By: LARRY VAUGHT

Could Hamidou Diallo have helped Kentucky this season if coach John Calipari had decided to play him?

ESPN national recruiting director Paul Biancardi says there’s no doubt Diallo could have played despite not being on campus the first semester – and several UK players agree.

Diallo, a five-star player, can be an explosive scorer even though he’s not a prolific outside shooter. Many assumed he might want to play and then head to the NBA at the end of this season instead of being part of UK's banner 2017 recruiting class.

For his part, Diallo made it clear to Calipari – and UK media members – that he did not want to play this year from the time he announced he was coming to Kentucky in January.

“The plan for me was to get prepared for next year, so that’s the plan me and Coach Cal are sticking to right now,” Diallo said after signing with Kentucky. “They just had the right plan for me.”

The key words then were “sticking to right now.”

Sunday Diallo announced he was testing the NBA draft market by declaring for the draft but not hiring an agent so he can return to UK. Each college player can put his name into the draft once, get evaluated by NBA personnel and then pull his name out to return to college. That’s what Isaiah Briscoe did last year. It’s what Bam Adebayo could still do this year. And what Diallo could do.

“He's a good dude. He was kind of lost when he first got here, but he can play and next year he's going to be really, really good. Fans are going to love him,” Kentucky senior Dominique Hawkins said late in the season.

During the SEC Tournament, Diallo said his time at UK had “been great” and let him improve.

He also didn’t hesitate to say being at UK since January would give him an advantage for next season.

“Those guys coming in, it will basically be my job to show them the ropes. For our team to be successful next year, I will have to go out there and be the best I can be,” Diallo said.

He praised coach John Calipari and said the two were bonding well “on and off the court.” He also did his best for months to try and persuade top recruits to pick Kentucky.

Sure, he could leave Kentucky and be a “none and done” as some are saying. Or he could just be doing the smart thing and finding out what NBA personnel would like to see him do next season to become a top 10 pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

He has about a month to make that decision but now you also see why signing Jemarl Baker was huge for Kentucky and why Calipari has continued to recruit other guards just in case Diallo is told he’s more than ready to make the jump.