Las Vegas live period: Samba Diallo's move from Senegal is paying off

LAS VEGAS -- Two years ago, Samba Diallo was presented with the opportunity to move from Senegal to the United States and use basketball to get an education. The Rivals150 small forward has taken the opportunity and run with it.

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A long and athletic wing who is fluid with the ball, Diallo has big upside once his skill catches up to his athleticism and though it wasn't easy to leave his home, he thinks it is working out.

"It was difficult at first because life is different over there," said Diallo who is playing in the Adidas Summer Championships with the New York Jayhawks. "I think the biggest thing for me was coming over and getting the opportunity for an education. Playing basketball is just something I love to do so thankfully that’s what brought me over to the United States"

So far, the move has paid off for Diallo. He has already netted scholarship offers from UMass, VCU, Rutgers, Denver and Stony Brook while West Virginia and Virginia Tech are among those to show interest. So far, the campuses he has seen are Rutgers, UMass and Seton Hall. He would like to take more visits.

"Last year I wasn’t able to go to all the schools I wanted to get to because of my schedule," Diallo said. "After this AAU season I’m going to look at all the schools so far and hopefully take some visits."

Diallo says that he would like to see how far basketball can take him and that he would like to get a degree in Sports Management. He's in no rush to make a decision and said that being new to the States allows him to take an even look at each school.

"For me, when I’m looking at colleges, I’m just looking for a school that will help me get a degree and help me further my basketball career," said Diallo. "With the education part, that’s really important to me because I’ll need it after basketball is over."