Kentucky Basketball: Hamidou Diallo will play for the Wildcats in 2017-18
After a long day of waiting Wednesday, Hamidou Diallo decided to pull his name out of NBA Draft consideration and return to play under Coach Calipari for Kentucky.
One of the biggest storylines heading into the NBA Draft deadline for players to come back to school was Hamidou Diallo.
Although he never played a game for Kentucky this past season, he was eligible to declare the draft, which he did without hiring an agent.
After impressive measurables at the NBA Combine, he did not participate in the 5-on-5 match-ups and then focused on interviews and workout with specific teams. In Mock Drafts, he was projected to possibly go in the lottery, later in the first round, or even in the second round due to how unpredictable his future could be.
Hamidou Diallo will return to Kentucky next season, per a source.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 25, 2017
The Kentucky shooting guard will be an exciting player to watch in college basketball next season due to the way he rises up for emphatic dunks and is always ready to attack the basket. There is a ton of potential with Diallo, and, with a year at Kentucky under his belt, he could easily be a lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Diallo will join a group widely regarded as one of the best recruiting classes in the country — even though every starter from last season’s Kentucky team is leaving for professional careers. Diallo was a five-star prospect out of high school, and Wildcats’ fans will certainly be eager to see the young star play his first game in the fall.
Let's Chase Championship #9 BBN!! pic.twitter.com/9Zyd9cPUom
— Hamidou Diallo (@hamidoudiallo) May 25, 2017
Next: Interviewing Kentucky's Kevin Knox
With Diallo coming back, Kentucky will once again be ranked among the top teams in the country as they look to improve on their Elite Eight berth a season ago. Can Coach Cal and Diallo make a run at the title?