Reports: KU freshman Cheick Diallo to declare for NBA draft

If he gets a positive report from the NBA, I wouldn't blame him for declaring, agent or not.

However, my first reaction to the news was to laugh, and then I thought this was his way of showing his displeasure at having to sit on the bench most of the season. (A tad bit of arrogance, maybe?)

But then, what do I know?

He's just another player in the endless cycle of duds for the KU program. Selby, Wiggins (yes, i'm including him as a dud because he was the #1 draft pick and only gave us 4 points in his one tournament game. This is not the kind of performance you'd expect from a hyped superstar #1 draft pick is it) , Cliff, and now Diallo. Hey Bill, can you actually recruit legitmate star freshman talent? Because I'm starting to think you can't. I for one am getting sick of tired of these players who were sold as freshman saviors only to ride the pine ala Diallo.

And why would KU spend all this money to "Free Diallo" only to have him be a non factor all year. Something just doesn't sit right with me on that move at all.

Check out these names.

Tyrel Reed
Kevin Young
Jeff Withey
Brady Morningstar
Tyshawn Taylor
Darnell Jackson
Russell Robinson
Travis Releford
CHristian Moody
TJ Pugh

These are the first ones to just roll off the top of my head. There are many more. These are the players that were not highly recruited but ended up being great college basketball players. They all had a few things in common. They were teachable. They were smart. They were humble. They were hard working. They were team oriented. I personally question the wisdom of the one and done. I am not categorically against it but there can be no denying, that despite the protestations by Self that Diallo will get the last laugh, in terms of Jayhawk basketball there is only one laugh. He can be laughing all he wants when wearing a 76'ers uniform or a Pistons uniform. That doesn't mean squat to me as a Jayhawk fan. My bet is that Lagerald Vick turns out to be a far better recruit than Diallo. And as for Cliff Alexander, he screwed his life up royally. I can't understand why people worship at the shrine of the big money NBA now mentality. Life is way more than earning a couple million bucks as a 20 year old. I speak from a perspective that I think can say these things with some level of understanding. MOney is neither a blessing or a curse in a vacuum. With the proper life preparedness, money is a great blessing. Without it in can be a great curse. I can say with all candor, I would steer my children 1000 miles away from a get rich quick mentality sans a life preparedness to turn that wealth into blessing rather than curse. I truly feel sorry for these kids.

4 teams will be playing next weekend, and there is not a '1 and done' among them. We recruit them because getting one or ore increases our exposure and gives us a greater likelihood of getting another one, and so on. Eventually we will get one or two who are program changers, like Lou Alcindor or Wilt, and we'll win a title, maybe. If Embiid doesn't get hurt, we probably win one his year, but otherwise the only 'one and dones' that helped us win a title were guys who came here with the intention of leaving, but didn't or couldn't. Our own 'one and dones' gave us very little joy, and a lot of angst.

Diallo is something of an oddity. He's clearly got tremendous ability, but little skill, and eventually he will probably be a terrific pro. But he would benefit enormously with at least one more year at KU, and there is a reasonable chance he comes back. I hope so. But to ask Bill Self to stop recruiting these guys is unproductive, because he has to. In some ways it helps KU by keeping these guys from going to Duke or UK, etc. Strange system, and it doesn't work well for us, or at least it hasn't.

Yes, it's silly to see a Diallo who can't get one minute on a college team, but could be a millionaire come NBA draft day. But that's the system. Draft on potential. Colleges recruit on potential as well. Do you think Self didn't know that Diallo was extremely raw when he offered him a scholarship? KU spent a large sum of money to get him, knowing he was raw. How is that different from the NBA drafting him a year later? The money is greater, but who cares if rich owners pay these guys. It's not my money.

What I don't agree with is that it's somehow bad for a kid like Diallo, or almost all OAD's, to leave early. I don't believe for a minute that OAD's who flame out in the NBA do so because they leave college early. I believe they were never going to make it, and they left before their lack of talent was discovered and overshadowed their potential. They made a few bucks by getting at least a couple years of NBA money (Selby).

Those who actually have NBA talent, in my opinion, improve drastically once they hit the NBA. Wiggins is prime example #1. Corpus, I respectfully disagree that leaving early is a "get rich quick" scheme. These kids have played their entire life to get to the NBA, and when presented the opportunity, they should take it. One extra year in college does nothing to better prepare them to be millionaires.

I would love to see Diallo in KU duds next year, but in his shoes, I would leave if I was assured I would be a first round pick.

HE, you're absolutely right. First round is not a given for Diallo.

However, I've been in the NBA gyms when college kids (and I'm old enough to have watched high school kids) work out for teams. Once they see his speed, energy, and how he attacks the rim, his stock will rise. I'm sure he is a beast in drills, and NBA workouts are limited to four people, so his lack of experience/knowledge of the 5v5 game won't be as apparent.