Cheick Diallo not expected to play in KU’s exhibition opener Wednesday

It appears the NCAA’s ruling on the eligibility of Kansas freshman Cheick Diallo could come down to a buzzer-beater.

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self said Monday that he was hoping for a “definitive” answer on Diallo’s status before the Jayhawks’ regular season opener against Northern Colorado on Nov. 13 at Allen Fieldhouse.

That’s as specific as Self can get, which means that Diallo, who is still waiting for academic clearance from the NCAA Eligibility Center, will sit out Wednesday’s exhibition opener against Pittsburg State.

For the moment, Self said Kansas was practicing as if Diallo, a 6-foot-9 freshman power forward, will play this season. That could change in the coming weeks if the Jayhawks get bad news from the NCAA.

The case, Self has said, centers on Diallo’s time at Our Savior New American, a private school in Centereach, New York.

A native of Mali, Diallo attended the high school for three years after coming to the United States to pursue a college basketball scholarship. The process has been slow.

Self and his staff have known about Diallo’s status since last summer, and in recent weeks KU officials have prepared more information for the NCAA eligibility center.

As other top freshman — including Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan — have been cleared to play, Diallo has continued to wait, leaving a cloud over the Jayhawks’ October. But as the NCAA finalizes its ruling, Self expressed confidence in the system.

“It's being handled the right way,” Self said Monday during a Monday news conference in Lawrence.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Cheick Diallo not expected to play in KU’s exhibition opener Wednesday."