By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Hamidou Diallo doesn’t know his future plans.
The Kentucky freshman guard doesn’t know where he stands in his decision to remain in the NBA Draft or return to Kentucky next season. That’s why the freshman guard has been busy gauging interest from at least 10 teams during the NBA Draft Combine this week.
Hamidou Diallo has been impressive at the NBA Combine this week in Chicago (Keith Taylor Photo)
“I just hope to get good feedback and see where I stand and see what the next move is for me really,” Diallo told reporters in Chicago Thursday. “I’ve heard a mixed amount of things. Plenty of good things and things I need to work on. Definitely a lot of interest. I would just say that I have a good advisor, people in my corner and those are people that I trust.”
Diallo measured the best vertical leap of all 67 participants at 44.5 inches, giving NBA scouts, coaches and executives one reason to give Diallo a look, even though he didn’t compete in the 5-on-5 drills Thursday. Kentucky coach John Calipari agreed with Diallo’s decision not to compete in the scrimmages.
“They don’t know — well, don’t show them,” Calipari said. “They all like you right now without watching you. Good. The more you don’t play, the more they like you. So don’t play. Then if someone takes him in the lottery, I will retire. There’s nothing more I could do. Four months, doesn’t play, lottery pick, I’m done. I’m stopping.”
Although it’s doubtful Diallo will be drafted in the first round, he’s projected to be a second-round selection by many drat analysts and his showing in the lane agility, shuttle run, court sprints and other agility tests likely lifted his stock to new heights.
“Who doesn’t want to be in the first round?” he said “I think every basketball player wants to be in the first round. At the end of the day I’ve just got to make the right decision for me and my family. I’m not thinking about making history. I’m thinking about being a basketball player for a long time.”
Diallo has until May 24 to decide whether to come back to Lexington or remain in the draft and said he has both doors open “100 percent.”
Combine debate
During his appearance on ESPN Thursday, Calipari shared his thoughts on the importance of the combine and agreed at least to some degree with NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who downplayed the significance of the event leading up to next month’s NBA Draft.
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“He may be right,” Calipari said. “For the guys, if you think there’s anything here that would hurt you, don’t come. If there’s anything here that would help you, come. If you have to play to help yourself, come. If it doesn’t help you play, then don’t play. This is for these kids. My job is to protect my guys. The job of these NBA teams is to get as much information as they can to make a great pick. So they would like to see every one of them play 5-on-5. Do all the [drills]. It’s not the way it is for these kids.”
Kentucky is one of three schools with four players participating in the combine this week. Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox and Isaiah Briscoe joined Diallo in Chicago this week. Briscoe scored 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and made one of two 3-pointers in a scrimmage Thursday. Briscoe also grabbed five rebounds and handed out a team-high seven assists.
Kentucky guard Malik Monk, last year’s Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, opted against attending the combine.
Fighting chance
During his eight-year tenure as coach of the Wildcats, Kentucky has produced 28 draft picks, including 21 first-round selections and three No. picks. The 18 players who left after just one season were chosen in the first round of the draft.
Along with the pressure of playing for a storied program like Kentucky, Calipari said his players learn another trait while in Lexington.
“What our kids learn to do is fight,” Calipari said. “So when you watch a Devin Booker, you look at Tyler Ulis, they fight. And that’s what with us because they have to practice every day and go against (each other). And the kids in this year’s draft will do the same.”
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter
