Cheick Diallo joined New York Team SCAN’s AAU basketball program in the spring of 2012 as a skinny, 6-foot-7, 15-year-old eager to learn all about a sport he started playing at his dad’s suggestion in the winter of 2010 in Mali.
“He was raw and full of energy,” Team SCAN director Terrence “Munch” Williams said of Diallo, a former youth soccer forward, who on Tuesday signed a hoops letter-of-intent with Kansas University. Williams has worked with Diallo the last three years — since Cheick moved to America to immerse himself in basketball and academics at Our Savior New American High School in Centereach, New York.
“He’s improved daily, weekly and overall. In the last two years we’ve seen a kid go from a raw shot-blocker to somebody who has been able to dominate the game both offensive and defensively. He brings it every day whether in practices, scrimmages or games. He wants to be great,” AAU coach Williams stated.
Diallo — he struggled the end of his freshman season, then averaged 17.9 points a game his sophomore year, 18.5 his junior year and 17.6 (with 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks) his senior campaign — emerged as a big-time prospect on the AAU circuit in the summer of 2014.
He was named MVP of the prestigious NBPA Top 100 camp, which included many other top high school big men. Recruited by all the powers, he quickly narrowed his list of college suitors to KU, St. John’s, Kentucky, Iowa State and Pitt.
“Cheick in my opinion is the No. 1 player in the country in the Class of 2015,” Munch Williams said, aware Rivals.com has ranked Skal Labissiere, Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown and Brandon Ingram ahead of his pupil. who is now 6-9, 220 pounds. “His production speaks for himself. He’s a walking double-double. He has the best motor. He’s dominated the best of the best. If you saw him in the McDonald’s All-American game (18 points, 10 boards, named MVP), the Jordan Brand game (26 points, 11 boards, MVP), the Nike Hoop Summit (12 points) … being named Gatorade Player of the Year (in New York). The list of accolades is unprecedented for a high school student-athlete.”
Off the court … USA Today recently reported that Diallo “has maintained a B average” and “is a devoted member of his church youth group (who) has volunteered locally on behalf of a food pantry.”
“Cheick the person is phenomenal. He’s a giver. He’s a pillar of the community,” Williams said. “He’s always finding ways to give back to his native country of Mali (sending home gear he receives at AAU tournaments). He puts others before himself. He is a selfless individual. He has a great heart and is a student not only of basketball but academia.
“He’s only played for one AAU program since he’s been in the States, which shows a level of commitment, loyalty and level of desire,” Williams added. “I would like to say he’s helped build this program into one of the top AAU programs in the country.”
Naturally everybody is most interested in how he can help KU’s team in what many are projecting to be a one-and-done college stay. Williams sees Diallo as an immediate contributor.
“He’s done a great job of understanding not just individual defense but team defense,” Williams said. “He has a high basketball IQ. He is learning how to pass out of double teams. He is learning how to shoot the 15-foot jumper over the past two years. He is capable at pick and pop and a good passer for someone his size.”
Asked to compare him to a current NBA player, Williams said: “At this point in time, I’d say Serge Ibaka (OKC Thunder). Serge is a guy who made a living on the defensive side and as he’s gotten older his offense has improved offensively over the course of the last few years.”
Williams said he has enjoyed visiting with KU’s coaches at New York events the past many years.
“I think it’s wonderful,” he said of KU recruiting the New York area. “Seeing the natural talent such as Cheick Diallo … you should have no problem getting on a jet to get out here to recruit a kid. I think Norm Roberts (KU assistant from New York and former St. John’s head coach) and Bill Self and the rest of the (KU) staff did a great job of coming in and making sure he felt he was a priority for Kansas and their program. Kansas is a national program and Cheick is a national kid, similar to a lot of kids in New York at this point in time,” Williams stated.
Wiggins top rookie: Former KU guard Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves today will be named rookie of the year, the AP reports. Wiggins averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 rebounds while logging 39 minutes a game in 82 games. He averaged 19.1 ppg after Jan. 1. In his final 13 games he averaged 23.3 points and 3.5 assists a game.
Wiggins, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 Draft, was traded by Cleveland to Minnesota in August. He beat out the likes of Nerlens Noel, Nikola Mirotic and Elfrid Payton for the rookie award.
“In the last month, he’s probably had more highlight dunks than we’ve had in the last five years combined,” Wolves coach Flip Saunders told the AP.
Recruiting: Former VCU commit Tevin Mack, a 6-6 senior small forward from Dreher High in Columbia, South Carolina, tells ESPN that coaches from KU and Texas have visited him, with Georgia “also making a strong push.” His mom told Rivals.com he’d like to set up a visit to KU, but he has no official visits left.
