[saphojunkie]

Couple of devlopments here:

Diallo is hiring an agent. He's gone. Good luck, kid. He's saying all the right things about KU and not lobbing grenades. I will root for him at the next level.

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2016/sto...ansas-jayhawks

Spoiler!

Friday, May 13, 2016
Updated: May 14, 12:29 PM ET
Cheick Diallo to keep name in NBA draft pool
By Jeff Goodman
ESPN.com

Cheick Diallo told ESPN he will sign with an agent and leave Kansas after just one season.


The 6-foot-9, 220-pound Diallo came to Kansas as one of the most heralded freshmen in the country, but his short stint with the Jayhawks never got on track.

The NCAA suspended him five games to open the season for receiving a limited amount of impermissible benefits. He only averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes per game the rest of the way.

"My time at Kansas was hard; the beginning was really hard," Diallo, who wrapped up his final game at the NBA combine Friday, told ESPN. "The NCAA stuff made it difficult for me, but even though I didn't always play a lot, I loved being at Kansas and loved supporting my teammates."

"It's not Coach's fault I wasn't playing," Diallo said, referring to Bill Self. "I'm not blaming anyone. I was hoping I'd play more time at Kansas, but it didn't work the way I wanted."

Cheick Diallo averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.5 minutes in his only season with the Jayhawks.

Diallo, who moved from Mali to New York midway through his freshman year of high school, said the plan entering his freshman season at Kansas was to remain for one year.

"This is the time for me to go to the next level," he said. "And I'm trying to show the NBA the things I do well: block shots, rebound and run the floor. I can guard multiple positions."

Diallo finished with 18 points in front of NBA executives on Thursday. He also helped himself with his measurements, registering a 7-foot, 4½-inch wingspan and an 8-foot-11½ standing reach.

Diallo said he still hopes to be selected somewhere in the first round of the June 23 NBA draft. He interviewed with 12 teams in Chicago while at the combine, and likely will go and work out for eight to 10 teams beginning next week.

"I'm so appreciative of the opportunities I have," said Diallo, who has only been playing organized basketball for five years. "I never could have imagined all this five years ago."

More from Zags blog:

Spoiler!

Diallo update: Kansas University freshman Cheick Diallo scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Friday’s NBA Combine scrimmage in Chicago. After that effort, he told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman he will definitely hire an agent and stay in the draft.

Zagsblog.com says Diallo will sign with an agent Monday.

“This is the time for me to go to the next level,” the 6-9 Diallo told Goodman of ESPN.com. “And I’m trying to show the NBA the things I do well — block shots, rebound and run the floor. I can guard multiple positions.”

Diallo interviewed with 12 NBA teams at the combine and according to ESPN’s Chad Ford also told the NBA execs he planned to stay in the draft. He said he will likely work out personally for eight to 10 teams starting next week.

“I am so appreciative of the opportunities I have. I never could have imagined all this five years ago,” said Mali native Diallo, who has been playing ball five years.

He told Zagsblog.com: “The NCAA suspended me for 3-4 months so I came in late, nothing I can do. I was behind everybody. I could not help the team. Sometimes I played three, four minutes in the game but I’m a team player, I don’t get mad, I’m happy for my team every time.”

Of his time at KU, he told Zagsblog that getting a late start while the NCAA examined his high school academic materials, didn’t help any.

“If it’s not NCAA stuff, if the NCAA didn’t suspend me, definitely I play more....I was behind everybody. I just come in late, nothing I can do. I was not mad at the coach. Not mad at anybody, Just keep working hard every day,” he told Zagsblog.com.

Diallo has encouraged other players, including Udoka Azubuike, to sign with KU, Zagsblog reports.

“Basically, I’m not selfish, I do things for Kansas,” Diallo said. “I’m not going to say, ‘Bro, don’t come here.’ I’m not going to say that. He’s asking me. I say, “Kansas is nice.’ If he (Azubuike) committed, fans love you, coach loves you. My time here is totally different. It’s NCAA stuff. It’s totally different.”

From the above:

Originally Posted by CHEICK DIALLO

“If it’s not NCAA stuff, if the NCAA didn’t suspend me, definitely I play more....I was behind everybody. I just come in late, nothing I can do. I was not mad at the coach. Not mad at anybody, Just keep working hard every day,” he told Zagsblog.com.

Diallo has encouraged other players, including Udoka Azubuike, to sign with KU, Zagsblog reports.

“Basically, I’m not selfish, I do things for Kansas,” Diallo said. “I’m not going to say, ‘Bro, don’t come here.’ I’m not going to say that. He’s asking me. I say, “Kansas is nice.’ If he (Azubuike) committed, fans love you, coach loves you. My time here is totally different. It’s NCAA stuff. It’s totally different.”