Hamidou Diallo entering 2018 NBA Draft, per report

UPDATE

Hamidou Diallo’s mentor says not so fast.

Hamidou Diallo is leaving for the NBA Draft.

According to Jon Rothstein, Diallo will declare and sign with an agent, ending his UK career.

Diallo had a mixed redshirt freshman season. He averaged an even 10 points per game, along with 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He shot 43 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range.

Diallo attracted national attention when he had his best game of the year against the Buffalo Bulls in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 22 points, bringing in eight rebounds and blocking two shots.

Diallo likely hurt his draft stock by returning to UK for his redshirt freshman season. He was trending toward the middle or top ²⁄₃ of the first round before he ever stepped on the floor for the Wildcats. Currently, NBAdraft.net has Diallo going 39th to the Philadelphia 76ers. ESPN has him at No. 35 on their big board, and Sports Illustrated has him at No. 38 on theirs.

The drop comes from Diallo’s actual output. Scouts salivated over his insane wingspan and vertical leap last year. Now that they know he still needs polishing on the offensive end, his potential seems a little less in the stratosphere than it did before.

Nonetheless, Diallo is certainly going to get drafted, and a reminder of his athleticism may push him back into the first round before draft night.

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