Cheick Diallo Signs with Agent, Will Enter 2016 NBA Draft

Cheick Diallo has officially entered the NBA draft after just one season at Kansas.  

Diallo took to Twitter to announce his decision to sign with an agent and forgo his college eligibility. Kansas coach Bill Self released a statement on the news, via Matt Galloway of the Topeka Capital-Journal:

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This is expected. Very happy for Cheick. He has improved a lot since he's been here. He just got off to a slow start and didn't play as much as we both expected but he was always a great teammate. We are all happy for how he performed in the combine and believe he has impressed a lot of teams.

"

According to DraftExpress, Diallo is projected to be selected in the first round in June's draft. 

After entering Kansas as a 5-star recruit, according to 247Sports, and McDonald's All-American Game MVP, Diallo was shelved by an NCAA investigation into impermissible benefits, per the Topeka Capital-Journal's Jesse Newell. 

Diallo eventually made his debut in December, but he struggled to find a consistent role on a loaded Jayhawks team. He averaged 7.5 minutes per game to go with three points and 2.5 boards.

His draft stock skyrocketed thanks to his performance at the NBA Draft Combine. In the eyes of ESPN's Chad Ford and Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Diallo performed as well as anyone at the evaluation:

Diallo, who stands at 6'9", is an explosive player who can provide immediate energy to an NBA team as a stout rebounder and rim-protector. His game is similar to that of another athletic big man, according to CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb:

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Biyombo messing around helping Cheick Diallo's draft stock #MIAvsTOR

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) May 15, 2016"

Diallo is still a raw prospect who needs to learn the nuances of the game, especially defensively. NBC Sports' Rob Dauster provided an excellent look at why Diallo rode the bench at Kansas. Dauster points out that Diallo was constantly out of position in half-court defense. He also struggled to stay with his man and properly rotate upon ball reversals. 

These aspects of his game will take time to develop, but Diallo has tremendous upside. Some sound coaching combined with his sheer athleticism should ensure Diallo a spot on an NBA roster for the next decade.