It may have caused the biggest Twitter uproar in quite some time, but Hamidou Diallo has made his decision to suit up for the Kentucky Basketball team next season.
News broke Tuesday afternoon by multiple reports saying that Diallo would return to Kentucky. As no official word from the university or Hamidou Diallo himself came out, nothing became official. Additionally, he deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft was at 11:59 pm on Wednesday night. As Kentucky Basketball fans, (myself included) refreshed Twitter constantly for nearly 10 hours, reports started to flow.
Hamidou Diallo is withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft and returning to Kentucky, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 25, 2017
Hamidou Diallo is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning to Kentucky, a source told @CBSSports.
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) May 25, 2017
The right decision
To set the record straight, Kentucky Basketball fans are flat out greedy. We want everyone to commit and we want the stables full. The BBN doesn’t sleep, literally. Social media was in a frenzy trying to dissect through fake Twitter accounts and be the first to retweet the big news.
Diallo seems to not like the feedback that he had gotten from the NBA teams. Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that he had interest from teams in the mid 20’s, but couldn’t get a guarantee.
Sources: Several teams in 20's were serious about selecting Diallo, but no guarantee came high enough to convince him to stay in draft. https://t.co/e2kEvYidd3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 25, 2017
A GM enamored w/ Hamidou Diallo's athleticism and potential said, "...Just isn't enough of a body of work to make a commitment on him now."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 25, 2017
It seems as though Diallo has made the correct decision for his future as a professional basketball player. Also, he NBA is a different monster. A unique skill set is required to thrive. The consensus is that Diallo could use another season under Coach Cal’s supervision to enhance some skills. Expect Hamidou Diallo to make his presence known early on this team.
Just a few more things. Also, after watching the NBA Combine, Kentucky Basketball fans will be excited to know that the top vertical leap will be donning the blue and white this season.
For Diallo, a full season at Kentucky - and work on his shot - could make him a high lottery pick. Tremendous NBA intrigue surrounds him. https://t.co/NRuDhpmWku
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 25, 2017
Also, an athlete of Diallo’s stature sure has an advantage in the NBA Draft lottery. For example, a team will definitely select him within the top 10 of next season’s draft once they get a full vision of his game capabilities.
Next: 3 reasons Kentucky wins the national championship
The mystery behind Diallo’s jump shot could have played a big part in these evaluations. If he can improve his shot and show NBA teams that he can score the basketball from everywhere on the floor, Kentucky Basketball may own the top three picks in the NBA Draft on the same team.
Straight from the source
Diallo Tweeted his message to the BBN at 12:05 am.
Let's Chase Championship #9 BBN!! pic.twitter.com/9Zyd9cPUom
— Hamidou Diallo (@hamidoudiallo) May 25, 2017