Tonight was fun for many reasons, but none more so than Hamidou Diallo’s performance. After a month of bad games and criticism, Diallo bounced back, putting up 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal, earning a standing ovation from his teammates and the Rupp Arena crowd.
“I gave Hami a hug in front of the team,” John Calipari said. “They gave him a standing ovation. You know, it’s been hard, and I wasn’t going to kick him to the curb. I wasn’t going to throw him under the bus. It’s been hard.