Kansas loaded up its frontcourt yet again with the commitment of New York Gatorade Player of the Year Cheick Diallo, making their 2015 class heavy with five-star big men. Diallo, though, is the class’ gem.
Diallo has hung around the top of most recruiting services’ rankings for most of the past few years, but many questioned what, besides length and athleticism, he had in his arsenal that warranted such high praise from scouts.
Well, if playing hard is a skill, and it just may be given how many players don’t seem to do it, than Diallo is one of the most skilled players in the 2015 class. After all, he was the MVP of both the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.
Name: Cheick Diallo
Height: 6’9
Position: Power Forward
Ranking: Five-star, No. 6 overall
Strengths: Diallo plays with as high of a motor is anyone else in the country, which is a refreshing sight to see every time you watch him play. He uses his motor to create havoc defensively, blocking shots left and right, getting into passing lanes, and finishing off every possession with a defensive rebound. When he does erase a shot or cause a turnover, he hustles out into the open floor where he’s extremely athletic in getting to the front of the rim. Sure, he can hit the occasional jumper, but he’s best around the rim.
Areas to Improve: His overall skill set still has a long way to go. Diallo shouldn’t be trusted handling the ball, shooting it outside of 12-feet, or even being a consistent passer–though to be fair, he has shown progress with his passing.
