Diallo gets NBA Combine invite, says all 6 UK players will be there

Hamidou Diallo has been invited to participate in the NBA Combine next month. And his high school coach said he could see a lot of familiar faces there.

Tom Espinosa, who coached Diallo at Putnam Science Academy in Queens, N.Y., said his former player told an assistant coach about the invitation to the NBA Combine.

“He said all the Kentucky guys were invited,” Espinosa said, “and all the Duke guys, too.”

Earlier this week, Kevin Knox’s father, also named Kevin, said his son had received an invitation to participate in the NBA Combine, which is May 16-20 in Chicago.

Four other UK players have entered their names in the June 21 NBA Draft: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Wenyen Gabriel, Jarred Vanderbilt and PJ Washington.

UK Coach John Calipari has said that an invitation to the NBA Combine is important in terms of strengthening a player's credibility as a draft prospect.

When asked his reaction to Diallo’s invitation, Espinosa said, “I hope it’s a good thing. (UK Coach John) Calipari knows what he’s doing. And he’ll advise him to do the right thing. ... But it’s exciting he got invited, for sure.”

Diallo also participated in the NBA Combine last year. He was something of a mystery man, a status that Calipari said could make him more intriguing to NBA people.

Diallo, who only practiced with UK in the 2016-17 season, did not play at the NBA Combine last season. He did do interviews and go through physical testing. His vertical leap of 44.5 inches was the second highest recorded in the history of the Combine.

Espinosa said he was not sure if Diallo will play in games at this year’s NBA Combine.

“I think it would help him if he played,” Espinosa said. “I don’t think it’d benefit him if he didn’t.”

Diallo has proven his NBA-level athleticism. But questions have been raised about the basic basketball skills of shooting, passing and ball-handling.

“NBA athlete,” ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas said of Diallo earlier this spring. “Can defend and run in transition as well as anyone in the league. But his skill level is not there yet. ... I’d say second-round (pick), but his athleticism is first round.”

In its ranking of NBA prospects updated on April 24, SI.com put Diallo at No. 34. ESPN had him at No. 35 and NBAdraft.net at No. 40.

Diallo had an up-and-down season for Kentucky in 2017-18. He starred in UK’s second-round victory over Buffalo.

“I love Hami,” former UK All-American Kenny Walker said earlier this spring. “I like how he kind of redeemed himself. Early, he was pressing, trying too hard. Trying to show the NBA scouts that he was a three-point shooter or he could make outside shots.”

This story was originally published April 30, 2018 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Diallo gets NBA Combine invite, says all 6 UK players will be there."