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Five-star shooting guard Hamidou Diallo headed to Kentucky

Hamidou Diallo
Hamidou Diallo (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

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Another day, another five-star for John Calipari and Kentucky. This time it is shooting guard Hamidou Diallo who has picked the Wildcats.

The 6-foot-5 Diallo made his pick of Kentucky official during a Saturday evening announcement in his hometown of New York.

Not only has Diallo committed, he will be enrolling immediately and should arrive in Lexington within days. Though he's expected to redshirt during the spring semester in order to get himself ready for a full run as a freshman in the 2017-18 season, Diallo is another monster pickup for the Cats.

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So, what exactly should Wildcats fans expect from Diallo and what type of fit is he for the Kentucky program?

Diallo is explosive, strong and finishes well above the rim whether it be in a crowded lane or the open floor. He also rebounds his position very well, has the tools to be a big-time defender and is the latest potential one-and-done prospect to pick Kentucky.

Because of his early enrollment, Diallo will be moved back into the class of 2016 and will technically become part of UK's 2016 recruiting class. However, the class that he'll play as a freshman with includes multiple five-stars in power forward P.J. Washington, center Nick Richards and point guard Quade Green along with high end four-star Shai Alexander.

While that group is loaded, the one thing that it lacks is a high-level shooter and Diallo won't solve that. His shooting has improved, but he's not been a knockdown shooter. With the expected departure of Malik Monk to the NBA Draft, Kentucky is in need of a guard who can consistently knock home deep jumpers.

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