Diallo: NBA can wait; I’ll stay at Kentucky

Hamidou Diallo stayed true to his word. It just took the ultra-talented Queens wing nearly until the midnight deadline for college basketball players to withdraw from the NBA Draft to decide.

Diallo, considered a potential first-round draft pick, is returning to Kentucky, as he has said for months he would do, rather than going pro. He made the decision late Wednesday night. He was eligible for the draft, because he graduated high school in the spring of 2016. Diallo was looking for a first-round guarantee, but reportedly didn’t get one high enough to consider.

Diallo enrolled at Kentucky in January, picking the Wildcats over Connecticut, but only practiced and did not get into a game. He was last seen playing competitive games in front of NBA personnel in November at the National Prep Showcase.

“Like I said when I submitted my name for the draft, playing in the NBA has always been my ultimate goal,” Diallo said in a statement. “When I enrolled in school in January, my plan was to come to Kentucky to work on my game and to focus on academics. … I knew I wanted to see where I was in the draft process so I could get a proper evaluation. … That plan still hasn’t changed. I hope to play in the NBA one day — just not this season.”

Diallo said had he gone pro, he would have paid Kentucky back for his spring tuition.

He worked out for the Celtics, Bulls, Bucks and Nets, but canceled a workout with the Knicks that had been scheduled for Wednesday.

Big Ten player of the year Caleb Swanigan of Purdue, who worked out with the Knicks on Wednesday, decided to stay in the draft.