Hamidou Diallo ahead of Bam Adebayo in Sporting News NBA Draft Rankings

Sporting News released a new list of the top NBA prospects going into the NBA Draft Combine, and plenty of Kentucky Wildcats made the list.

The biggest surprise from the list is the fact that Hamidou Diallo, who has jumped into the first round. The guard who has yet to play for Kentucky is the No. 22 prospect on SN’s list. They think it’s a good idea for Diallo to go to the combine, but not participate in the five-on-five.

Diallo will dominate the athletic testing portion as an explosive wing, and has been measured in the past at 6-5 in shoes with a 6-10 wingspan. As mentioned earlier this week, Diallo is making the right call not participating in the five-on-five.

Diallo being a first-round prospect is huge, and means a lot for his impending decision on whether to stay or go. Diallo ranked ahead of Bam Adebayo, as they ranked Adebayo 24th. Adebayo, like Diallo, will not participate in the five-on-five at the combine.

Adebayo has been on the radar of NBA teams for years, and doesn’t have a ton to gain in the eyes of scouts from his performance in Chicago. He should measure at something around 6-10 with a 7-1 wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach, with good explosive leaping ability. Ultimately, though, those are known factors about his game.

What’s not a surprise is where De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk ranked. First is Fox, who is ranked sixth (a one-spot drop from his previous ranking, No. 5). He is expected to do extremely well at the combine.

Fox, like Fultz, will attend, and will excel in every part of the combine. He’s an elite athlete both laterally and vertically, his measurements are well known as being somewhere in the 6-3 with a 6-6 wingspan range and he’s definitely going to be a plus interviewer. No downside to him attending.

Monk is the second Wildcat on the list at No. 8, dropping from his previous No. 7 spot. Sporting News says that with all the attention Monk has received from NBA scouts, there’s no real reason for him to attend the combine (which he isn’t).

Monk is another player who has been on NBA radars for years, and teams have a bevy of measurements both athletically and size-wise. He would certainly be a standout in athletic testing, but it’s not a necessity for him to be there.

The combine is Thursday and Friday of this week...Diallo has until May 24 to decide whether or not he returns. The rest have signed an agent and are off to the NBA for good.