text: How Hamidou Diallo is Preparing His Peers for Kentucky | Kentucky Sports Radio
  How Hamidou Diallo is Preparing His Peers for Kentucky
  By Nick Roush | March 28, 2017 | 4:00pm | 8
  During the many discussions surrounding next year's team and the 2017 recruiting class, people forget the most important player is already on campus: Hamidou Diallo, 2017's top-ranked shooting guard.
  Diallo arrived on Kentucky's campus for the spring semester to join the team, but only on the practice court. During games he sat on the sidelines. Diallo is using the time to physically improve, but also mentally prepare his team for the next season. That means he's making sure his future teammates know what to expect when they arrive on campus.
  "He just told us to be ready for it," P.J. Washington said today. "I think it's going to help him a lot, strength-wise, body-wise, getting his body right and his shot."
  Diallo talks to all of his future teammates periodically. He doesn't have any horror stories, but there's one message everyone hears: be ready. "Go in the gym and get ready for the season," Nick Richards said.
  Nobody talks to Diallo more than his future backcourt running-mate, Quade Green. The northeast guys have played basketball for many years and look forward to playing together again in Lexington.
  "That's like my best friend. I just got off the phone with him before we got here," Green said at media day. "That's my boy. He told me to come there and be ready to work, block all the noise out, block the fans out because they're going to be crazy out there. He already told us it's going to be crazy so we have to be focused."
  Diallo isn't just talking to Kentucky's commits, he's talking to Cal's recruits. "He really wants me to come in next year," Kevin Knox said today. "He just really wants me to come there and play along with him."
  Diallo's relationship with Mohamed Bamba goes way back too, maybe even further than Quade Green.
  "I played on the same AAU team with Hami when we were in like eighth grade," Bamba said. "I've always been tight with him." Diallo's message to Bamba is one we've heard from Calipari: "if you're not trying to work, don't come."
  Diallo has rarely been heard from, but he could be the cornerstone to Kentucky's 2017-18 success.
  8 Comments for How Hamidou Diallo is Preparing His Peers for Kentucky
  4:15 pm March 28, 2017 Permalink
  He seems like a good kid and was always rooting for the team on the bench this year.
  4:23 pm March 28, 2017 Permalink
  I know us as fans of the BBN say this every year, but I am CONVINCED! That next years team is going to be special even better than this years team. I just watched the Mcdonald's scrimmage and Vanderbilt and PJ Washington are MONSTERS! They both are so versatile and rebound as if their scholarship depends on it. Quade is just like Tyler Ulis, his Bball IQ is through the roof! Nick Richards is solid as well, if we can get Mo Bamba and that Mark Smith guy then I would take our team against ANYONE I don't care if they are all freshman. They are just that good!
  4:26 pm March 28, 2017 Permalink
  Yep and you will continue to be just like this every year , thanks to Cal.
  Indeed. Cal is awesome.
  Way better than having to worry about scandals and strippers every year haha
  4:46 pm March 28, 2017 Permalink
  UK Fans kill me and I am one. We were mad at Tubby because he couldn't recruit. We said "yes he can coach but can't get the players." So now we have Call who is getting the recruits and people say "wow he can get the recruits but can't coach" or "we need more experience". UK fans can not be pleased no matter what. So you are telling me you would turn down a kid who is obviously better than another kid just because the kid who isn't as good might stay longer? That is nuts. So lets say we had a team full of juniors and seniors but it took 3 years of 20 or 22 wins before we had the breakout season you think fans would be happy with that? Give me a break!