Players lingering in the first and second round just breathed a sigh of relief. Potential star Hamidou Diallo has elected to pull out of the NBA Draft and rejoin the Kentucky Wildcats. Diallo was expected to be a first-round pick, but no team was giving him a guarantee. The inexperienced yet athletic guard brings a ton of talent back to Kentucky.
NBA Draft impact
Diallo pulling out of the draft impacts the back end of the first-round a lot.
Diallo was in mock drafts ranging anywhere from mid first round to late second round. This wide range put other players at risk of dropping as well. Diallo may not be a big topic of discussions, but he was on everyone GM's mind in the late first round.
This means that the draft got a little bit smaller. Teams can focus on other guards now instead, making prospects like Terrance Ferguson, Jawun Evans, and Frank Jackson in the mix to get into the first round. With another guard being off the board, guys that may not have been as promising may now get bumped up a bit due to lack of value around them.
College basketball impact
The impact onto college basketball that this move has is massive. This move guarantees Kentucky being a top 10 preseason ranked team, and Diallo can propel himself into the lottery in the 2018 draft with this move. Kentucky has a solid chance of taking their squad into the Final Four or further.
The Wildcats now have six former five-star recruits on their team, and John Calipari will have some fun working with them. Diallo brings an insane amount of athleticism to the table. At the combine, his vertical hit a height of 44.5, while his explosion and length are also NBA-ready attributes.
This move makes a lot of sense for both Diallo and Kentucky. Apparently, for Kentucky, they are getting an explosive guard to add to their arsenal, and it will help make their team even better.
They already have a dominant player in Kevin Knox; this move makes them even deadlier.
For Diallo, this move is Diallo betting on himself. He was a borderline first-round pick in 2017, but with a year of college, he can take that status into the lottery in the 2-18 draft. He has all the tools to be successful in the league and in college, it will be about putting it all together over the next year.
John Calipari is losing nearly his whole squad from last season that dominated the college basketball scene. De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and Bam Adebayo are all headed for the draft. Calipari will have to form this new relationship quickly to get that gel going before the season.