Diallo cleared to play for Kansas, starting Tuesday

The 19-year-old attended middle school in Mali before enrolling at Our Savior New American School on Long Island, N.Y., as a ninth grader.

Diallo, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward, will get his first opportunity to play on Tuesday when No. 5 Kansas plays host to Loyola.

According to the NCAA, it was provided new information by Kansas on Friday, including an independent review of Diallo’s coursework, and that review, plus information is received previously, prompted the association to approve his eligibility.

Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger issued a statement calling the resolution a “fair conclusion to what was a very complicated situation”. While he is cleared, the NCAA still felt Diallo received “a limited amount of extra benefits,”and will sit out a total of five games as a result”. However, Kansas submitted new information to the NCAA on November 20 that included an independent review of his studies.

“Our goal is to have eligibility decisions made prior to the start of a student-athlete’s season”, said Oliver Luck, the NCAA executive vice president of regulatory affairs. “Additionally, staff considered a complex set of circumstances regarding amateurism”.

Despite today’s positive news, Self still expressed his displeasure with the NCAA’s handling of this case and its ultimate ruling.

Zenger wrote that Kansas officials found “serious and legitimate misrepresentations attributed to NCAA process, unfounded verbal statements and inadequate professional standards” during the investigation. Coach Bill Self held a conference call Saturday night to detail the steps the university had taken to work with the NCAA regarding Diallo’s eligibility.

Then there’s the on-the-court ramifications of Diallo’s decision. Therefore, Diallo is not eligible to play for five contests, including the four games Kansas has already played.

Diallo is expected to be a force down low and will immediately be one of the Jayhawks’ best players on the floor.