Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Cheick Diallo doesn’t dress for Kansas opener; Self: ‘there wasn’t progress’

Bill Self

Bill Self

AP

Kansas played their first exhibition game on Wednesday night, and unlike the Johnnies, the Jayhawks were able to come away with a win.

Bill Self started his three guards, Perry Ellis scored 22 points, Svi Mykhailiuk was 0-for-3 in 15 minutes off the bench and Carlton Bragg went for 14 and six when he finally got on the court.

The most notable part of the exhibition was that Landen Lucas started alongside Ellis in the front court. That’s important because of who didn’t start: Cheick Diallo. The star freshman didn’t even dress, as he’s still awaiting word from the NCAA on whether or not he is going to be cleared to play this season.

The latest?

Self spent all Wednesday in meetings with the NCAA, trying to help them work through what it will take to get Diallo on the floor.

“There wasn’t progress, but there were certainly talks,” Self said after the game. “And the talks are ongoing. The process is still playing itself out.”

Kansas told Cheick at 4 p.m. yesterday he wouldn’t be able to play, and it’s possible, Self believes, that he could end up missing regular season games.

“I would like to say it’s not possible, but after going through the process I think anything’s possible,” he said. “Not putting any blame or fault on anything, it’s just there’s a few moving parts and the NCAA has to follow policy on those parts. It can be frustrating, but it’s not one, at this point in time, we’re going to stand up and beat the drum saying this should happen. We have to respect the process.”

“It’s disappointing that we’re still dealing with this on Nov. 4th.”