Diallo talks decision, fan support and how paperwork almost cost him the season

Hamidou Diallo is busy getting ready for the upcoming NBA draft but he isn't too busy to take time out of his day to call in to Kentucky Sports Radio. Diallo made a special guest appearance on Friday's show to tell the fans what went into the decision to leave after his only full season in Lexington and how much Big Blue Nations means to him. "It was a well-thought decision," Diallo explained of the move to leave. "I had to go back home to speak to my family, speak to my old high school coaches, and I just felt like this is what's best for me and my family at this point. Last year I went through the process and I feel like I made a great decision when I decided to come back to Kentucky to get to play in front of the fans. I just felt like it was finally the time to go on and chase my dreams." Playing in front of the UK fans meant a lot to Diallo, more than many even realized. He acknowledged his season had its ups and downs, but the fans were always there for him through the good and the bad. "I feel like the fans always had my back throughout the whole year, no matter what, no matter how I was playing," he said. "I had some terrible games and I had some great games, but the fans were always there. They always supported me and never gave up on me. That's why I feel like I have a special place for BBN in my heart and I feel like that will never go away, it will never be taken away from me." Diallo also told the previously untold story of how he almost didn't get his paperwork turned in to the NBA in time to return to Kentucky last May. He admitted he submitted it two minutes too late at around 12:02 am the day of the deadline, but he was still allowed to remove his name from the draft and return to UK thanks to a little leniency and the fact he had already tweeted the news. Hear it all in the full interview with Diallo below: [audio m4a="http://kentuckysportsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/diallo.m4a"][/audio] [mobile_ad]