OT - Hamidou Diallo testing Draft Waters

[JSM1970]

Diallo was pretty smart in hindsight. He has zero intentions of playing college BBall so why not get 2-3 months of practice with legit NBA prospects like Monk, Fox, Bam vs. Vital, VJ and Brimah, etc.

 

[auror]

Ah hahahhaha

 

[Marat]

And that's why he chose UK . Many of us were saying he wouldn't play in the NCAA.

 

[mauconnfan]

I am sure he went to all of his classes and Squids APR will be immaculate.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Please be True!

 

[intlzncster]

Diallo was pretty smart in hindsight. He has zero intentions of playing college BBall so why not get 2-3 months of practice with legit NBA prospects like Monk, Fox, Bam vs. Vital, VJ and Brimah, etc.

Even better to get the UK cache. I think that's why he really did it

 

[intlzncster]

I am sure he went to all of his classes and Squids APR will be immaculate.

Hate on it all you want, but that's something I'm eternally pissed about vis a vis UCONN. Only major program to NOT game the system. WTF were they thinking

 

[HooperScooper]

For those still following Diallo's saga. Or more appropriately, those hoping Kentucky gets burned.

Prep coach confident Hamidou Diallo will return to Kentucky

 

[husky429]

For those still following Diallo's saga. Or more appropriately, those hoping Kentucky gets burned.

Prep coach confident Hamidou Diallo will return to Kentucky

Espinosa has no relationship with Diallo. He called him out after he went to UK about not coming to practice, suspending him from games, having a bad attidue, etc.

I doubt he has a clue.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

UConn basketball followed Diallo on Twitter though, so I'm still holding out hope he's coming.

 

[HooperScooper]

UConn basketball followed Diallo on Twitter though, so I'm still holding out hope he's coming.

That ain't happening. He'd have to sit out a season if he transferred. The kid wants to spend as little time in college as possible and now he would want to sit out another season before playing?

You might want to search for unicorns rather than hoping Diallo is coming to UConn. The time would be more well spent that way.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

That ain't happening. He'd have to sit out a season if he transferred. The kid wants to spend as little time in college as possible and now he would want to sit out another season before playing?

You might want to search for unicorns rather than hoping Diallo is coming to UConn. The time would be more well spent that way.

My post was intended to be a joke.

 

[HooperScooper]

My post was intended to be a joke.

I have trouble keeping up with who the crazy posters are here on the board and who the sane ones are.

 

[Chief00]

Espinosa has no relationship with Diallo. He called him out after he went to UK about not coming to practice, suspending him from games, having a bad attidue, etc.

I doubt he has a clue.

Agreed - he's the guy who kept Glen Miller's rosy colored glasses going - and we all know how that ended!

 

[80shusky]

 

[BUConn10]

UConn basketball followed Diallo on Twitter though, so I'm still holding out hope he's coming.

To this day one of the most foolish sources of confidence in a kids recruitment I've ever seen. Similar concepts get thrown around way too often in other recruiting threads too when Chill or KO follows a random kid.

Following someone on twitter these days is the equivalent of adding someone's phone number or address to your contacts booklet in the age of pre-internet and smartphones. It's in no way a statement of how close you are as friends, but more of a digital link between two accounts' networks, nothing more. Don't expose your age so much guys.

 

[c29328]

He's thinking what I am thinking. Some of these perennial winners won't get a shot at that physical talent in the draft. To get at 25 or so somebody will take a chance and lay out a gaurantee.

 

[JMick]

I really hope he stays in the draft. Would be a nice lesson on sunk costs for KO and I would get to laugh at all the UK fans on reddit who said he made a promise to cal that he would stay at Kentucky

 

[80shusky]

I really hope he stays in the draft. Would be a nice lesson on sunk costs for KO and I would get to laugh at all the UK fans on reddit who said he made a promise to cal that he would stay at Kentucky

I agree. Think how we would feel after the long recruitment and the emotional ups and downs if he had chosen UConn and then never played a game. Ugh. This is probably a stupid statement and I'm probably going to get criticized for it but I'm not sure chasing the 5* one and done guys is the best use of resources. You can build a real good college basketball team with 4* and even some 3* players and win. If the current model of all the 5* one and done type players going to Kentucky, Duke, and a couple of other schools holds than we might be better off setting our sights on the slightly lower ranked players who are likely to be around for 3 years, mature, and help build a program. Eventually you hope you have the right mix of experience and talent to hang banner #5.

 

[Walker11]

Hamidou has a pretty tough decision IMO but if he is going in the 20's, I think he has to go. The guaranteed money is just too much, especially for a guy who is all potential at this point. This is a guy who will have a 10 year career if he can become a 35% standstill 3 point shooter. I am not sure if that will be the case. His athleticism will definitely give him a good shot, just look at Derrick Jones. But NBA teams give up on their investments pretty easily nowadays. Going in the 20's and getting drafted by a good organization will do wonders for the kids career. He can not be expected to provide any impact until year 3. A kid like Dejounte Murray had his career saved by getting picked by the Spurs, as opposed to a team like the Nets.

The college experience is just so damn fun, and especially for a kid who would be a top prospect at UK. He is going to be drowning in co-eds and we know how much ESPN will slurp him. He will get tons of hype and end up on the highlight reels on a weekly basis. Being such a big shot must feel amazing. If he goes to the NBA and never learns how to shoot, he will never have a second in the limelight and will be forgotten from history like a Ndudi Ebi.

 

[Matrim55]

This is probably a stupid statement and I'm probably going to get criticized for it but I'm not sure chasing the 5* one and done guys is the best use of resources. You can build a real good college basketball team with 4* and even some 3* players and win. If the current model of all the 5* one and done type players going to Kentucky, Duke, and a couple of other schools holds than we might be better off setting our sights on the slightly lower ranked players who are likely to be around for 3 years, mature, and help build a program. Eventually you hope you have the right mix of experience and talent to hang banner #5.

This is the Villanova model, really. They've gotten a couple of borderline 5-stars in Brunson and Spellman, but for the most part their team has been made up of guys in the 40-200 recruiting range, and it's served them well.

I hope this is the direction we go in. Make guys in the 30-100 range the priority, and if we can snag the occasional one-and-done on top of it, Andre-style, so be it.

 

[pj]

Hamidou has a pretty tough decision IMO but if he is going in the 20's, I think he has to go. The guaranteed money is just too much, especially for a guy who is all potential at this point. This is a guy who will have a 10 year career if he can become a 35% standstill 3 point shooter. I am not sure if that will be the case. His athleticism will definitely give him a good shot, just look at Derrick Jones. But NBA teams give up on their investments pretty easily nowadays. Going in the 20's and getting drafted by a good organization will do wonders for the kids career. He can not be expected to provide any impact until year 3. A kid like Dejounte Murray had his career saved by getting picked by the Spurs, as opposed to a team like the Nets.

The college experience is just so damn fun, and especially for a kid who would be a top prospect at UK. He is going to be drowning in co-eds and we know how much ESPN will slurp him. He will get tons of hype and end up on the highlight reels on a weekly basis. Being such a big shot must feel amazing. If he goes to the NBA and never learns how to shoot, he will never have a second in the limelight and will be forgotten from history like a Ndudi Ebi.

If he's going to be in the first round, he has to go and will go. It makes a lot of difference financially, and the "co-eds" are just as available to NBA players (if not more) than college players. If he washes out of the NBA and has to play in Europe after his guaranteed contract ends, he still makes plenty of money, and in that scenario, he doesn't develop at Kentucky either and may lose out on the NBA entirely.

 

[Chief00]

Hamidou has a pretty tough decision IMO but if he is going in the 20's, I think he has to go. The guaranteed money is just too much, especially for a guy who is all potential at this point. This is a guy who will have a 10 year career if he can become a 35% standstill 3 point shooter. I am not sure if that will be the case. His athleticism will definitely give him a good shot, just look at Derrick Jones. But NBA teams give up on their investments pretty easily nowadays. Going in the 20's and getting drafted by a good organization will do wonders for the kids career. He can not be expected to provide any impact until year 3. A kid like Dejounte Murray had his career saved by getting picked by the Spurs, as opposed to a team like the Nets.

The college experience is just so damn fun, and especially for a kid who would be a top prospect at UK. He is going to be drowning in co-eds and we know how much ESPN will slurp him. He will get tons of hype and end up on the highlight reels on a weekly basis. Being such a big shot must feel amazing. If he goes to the NBA and never learns how to shoot, he will never have a second in the limelight and will be forgotten from history like a Ndudi Ebi.

Not tough at all - he's gone.

 

[LStudfellow]

Not tough at all - he's gone.

And now that the full truth of this "saga" has been revealed... a bunch of you need to seriously consider apologizing to Kevin Ollie. If you don't get it by now - Once Kentucky offered a "scholarship" Hamidou Diallo was never coming here. He is not playing in college - not for one single minute. WAAYYYY too much downside for a kid with great athleticism but a below average jump shot who has had his effort/motor questioned on multiple occasions by multiple people. Guys like him are a dime a dozen in the D-League and playing in professional leagues all over the world.

Those of you who used this as a sign that Ollie and/or Glen Miller were to blame for not getting his commitment (and no, I do not mean all of you, as a number of you like Jaker were spot on that he would never play in college) and used this to propel your Ollie should be fired agendas - Hami WAS NOT COMING HERE... even if Calhoun were here recruiting him. In fact, he would not have gone to Duke, either. Coach K would not allow a kid to use him like this.

We wanted (and needed him) to actually PLAY. Calipari does not. Hami does not want to have to play a minute in college. He knows that his game is limited, and any prolonged playing time in college will diminish his value. His "stock" will never be higher than it is right now, going into this draft.

Give him and his camp a lot of credit - they have played this game brilliantly. They have circumvented the current NBA rules which seemingly force kids to play at least one year of college baxketball (or professionally somewhere else like Emmanuel Mudiay did) quite impressively. Play lame competition for half a year in high school (and don't even play well), go to Kentucky for half a year and PRACTICE... showcase your skills without damaging your ridiculously over-hyped reputation... and you can get drafted in the 1st round, procure a guaranteed 3-year contract without ever having to prove you have the required skills (you know, like maybe a decent jump shot, for one) to actually play in the NBA.

It sucks that he used us, no question. If it makes any of you feel any better, he is obviously using Calipari and Kentucky, as well.

 

[JSM1970]

Yes, NBA guys struggle with the ladies

Inside the 'Tinderization' of today's NBA
Inside the 'Tinderization' of today's NBA

The college experience is just so damn fun, and especially for a kid who would be a top prospect at UK. He is going to be drowning in co-eds and we know how much ESPN will slurp him. He will get tons of hype and end up on the highlight reels on a weekly basis. Being such a big shot must feel amazing. If he goes to the NBA and never learns how to shoot, he will never have a second in the limelight and will be forgotten from history like a Ndudi Ebi.