Cheick Diallo cleared to play for Kansas as Kassoum Yakwe is cleared to play at St. John's
Cheick Diallo of the All-American Boys East Team attempts a free throw against the All-American Boys West Team during the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center on April 17, 2015. Credit: Mike Stobe
After months of legal wrangling and a recent public protest by Kansas coach Bill Self, former Our Savior New American star Cheick Diallo has been cleared by the NCAA to play for the Jayhawks as of Dec. 1. As a byproduct of that decision, St. John's freshman Kassoum Yakwe, who played with Diallo at OSNA in Centereach, also has been declared eligible for the Red Storm's next game Wednesday at Fordham.
Explaining the decision, the NCAA released a statement that said: "The university provided new information to the NCAA on Nov. 20, including an independent review of Diallo's coursework. Based on both the independent review and the Eligibility Center's existing information, the NCAA approved his initial eligibility waiver."
In reviewing Diallo's amateurism status, the NCAA "concluded that Diallo received a limited amount of extra benefits." As a result, the 6-9 forward was required to sit out the Jayhawks' first five games, including tomorrow night's final of the Maui Invitational.
Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger issued a statement calling the resolution a "fair conclusion to what was a very complicated situation."
Diallo earned MVP honors in both the McDonald's high school all-star game and the Jordan Brand Classic last summer at Barclays Center, and his addition makes Kansas a strong contender for the national championship. The five-star prospect is considered a likely NBA Draft lottery pick in June.
Like Diallo, St. John's 6-7 forward Yakwe is from Bamako, Mali, and lived with a host family while attending OSNA. He was a four-star recruit who chose the Red Storm over Oregon. Yakwe was named defensive player of the year for the 2015 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League after averaging 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in 15 games, and he led his team to the prestigious Peach Jam, where he earned second team honors.
Oliver Luck, NCAA executive vice-president of regulatory affairs, said in the statement that this "was a complicated case involving international transcripts," and he added that OSNA remains under review. That review process was initiated more than three years ago and prompted a protest from Self and Kansas.
Zenger released a letter faulting the NCAA for never visiting OSNA to investigate the curriculum or to speak with faculty members. The letter said Diallo never was told his academic credentials were in question until last January. Zenger said that Kansas spent more than $1 million on its own investigation of OSNA to determine whether it met normal high school educational standards.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
