The Kansas Jayhawks have gotten off to a 1-1 start to their season after losing to Michigan State in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night. Many people view Kansas as a team that can make the Final Four and contend for a National Championship despite the loss, and a major reason for that is they are without one of their top players in Cheick Diallo, who has still not been ruled eligible by the NCAA. Head coach Bill Self is hoping that ruling comes soon so Diallo can play within the next couple of games, according to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star.
The Jayhawks are set to fly to Maui on Friday to take part in the Maui Invitational, and Diallo is expected to travel with the team, but there are reportedly "no indications that he will be eligible to play" in the tournament, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
Kansas opens up its tournament on Monday when it takes on host school Chaminade, and Diallo is highly unlikely to play in that game, but Self is hopeful that the NCAA will make a ruling early next week so that the 6-foot-9 power forward could play in at least one game in the tournament. It was unknown whether Diallo would even be allowed to travel with the team to Maui, but he reportedly received clearance, which could be a sign that things are moving in the right direction.
Diallo has not yet been ruled eligible by the NCAA Eligibility Center as it reviews his academic records, and there are also complications with his guardian whom the NCAA considers an agent despite the fact that he took Diallo in out of Mali. As of right now, it seems as though Diallo will get ruled eligible at some point, the only question is when.
Diallo was ranked the seventh best recruit in the 2015 class, according to ESPN, and many people view him as a potential lottery pick in the next NBA Draft. Kansas is a talented team that has a nice mix of veteran players and young talent, but Diallo is the best freshman the Jayhawks have, and having him eligible will be huge for them moving forward. Without Diallo Self has started Jamari Traylor in the frontcourt alongside Perry Ellis and although Diallo hasn't played a single college minute yet, that is a big drop-off in talent.
The #FreeDiallo hashtag has taken over for Kansas fans, and although it does seem like there is some minor progress in making the freshman eligible, it hasn't been quick enough. The best case scenario is that he plays a couple of games in Maui, but as of right now that just doesn't seem very likely.
