I really don't see how the UK and Arizona visits change anything. This December things clearly changed and the ball started rolling for the possibility of Diallo joining a team in the spring. For that to happen, he clearly had to expedite his recruitment as evidenced by sudden tweets from Daniels and crystal ball picks changing rapidly. What expediting your recruitment entails is cutting your list down (which he did, down to Arizona, UConn and UK; he had two or three other schools in his final schools weeks before this buzz began) and following that up with official visits to those schools.
Diallo has lived on our campus for the last few months, and even gave us the first official. Now it's time for him to continue and finish the process by doing what he's entitled to as a recruit and take his remaining OVs. I still think UConn has an inherent advantage as of now through this whole process. I know I have been less than positive about Diallo coming here in the past namely this summer, but the news regarding him joining a team in the spring really through a wrench in this process and really changed the course of events. Remember this, Diallo possibly joining UK in this coming weeks is VERY DIFFERENT than Diallo joining the Wildcats in the fall after they clear house to the NBA draft and begin building for next year.
This change in his plans gives one team a clear leg up in everything, UConn. We have the most playing time available for him, and clearly the closest relationship to the STAFF AND THE PLAYERS. That relationship is going to be essential when you are walking onto a team mid season. Imagine being a 5 star top 10 recruit and how everyone on the team would look at you entering mid season expecting major play time, it won't go swimmingly. Egos and personalities will surely clash in a scenario like this, and I know I'd personally be somewhat shy about overstepping my bounds, but that wouldn't be an issue at UConn. He's essentially already an unofficial member of the team, guys on the team know him, have partied with him, and he's been buddies with Ollie for months now. It's going to be a completely different environment in Storrs for Hamidou than it will be in Tuscon or Lexington.