Meet Cheick Diallo.
He’s 6-foot-9, 220 pounds. He was MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game and co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic.
And he just might be the next great big man at Kansas.
I’m kansas Jayhawks Bound. Thank you all for the support ???????????????? C’est LA Vie pic.twitter.com/IA6RGx3q6v
— _cd13 (@cheick_diallo13) April 28, 2015
Originally from Mali, the five-star post player turned himself into one of the nation’s elite college prospects at Our Savior New American High, in Centereach, New York. He joins KU as the No. 5 overall talent in the Class of 2015, according to Rivals.com.
The big man stole the show at the McDonald’s all-star game earlier this month, where his name was called repeatedly, bucket after bucket, and he wowed the Chicago crowd with a fast-break spin-move on his way to an 18-point/10-rebound performance.
He even blocked some shots in the offense-oriented showcase and dropped a dime inside.
Diallo appears to have everything you’re looking for in a traditional big man: length, toughness, and the ability to finish at the rim on one end of the floor while intimidating the opposition from doing the same on the other end.
The guy even snags defensive rebounds anticipating the ensuing outlet pass he’s about to sling down the floor.
That makes him a perfect fit for KU coach Bill Self. Even better, the lean, young big fills a need for next season’s roster.
Self continually referenced the Jayhawks’ lack of an elite interior presence during the 2014-15 season. Unlike most Kansas teams, this one couldn’t throw the ball into the post and get a basket. Even worse perhaps, there was no rim protector waiting in the paint on defense.
That gaping hole in KU’s lineup likely is the very reason Diallo will be playing at Allen Fieldhouse next season.
> “I felt like Kansas was the best place
> for me,” Diallo told [ESPN.com’s Paul
> Biancardi][1]. “I can earn playing
> time right away. I played against Joel
> Embiid in high school and watched his
> development. I need to work on a lot
> of things and feel coach (Bill) Self
> can help my game. On my visit, the
> campus was great and the people were
> nice. I could see myself there.”
Picture Diallo in a Kansas uniform, playing alongside all the returning Jayhawks and fellow freshman Carlton Bragg, and it’s easy to envision KU getting past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons. And back to the Final Four for the first time since 2012.
Here are a few more Diallo highlight reels as your mind wanders about the possibilities.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk0sCleQOF0
[1]: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/story/_/id/12781732/power-forward-cheick-diallo-says-committed-kansas-jayhawks
