Cheick Diallo cleared to play starting December 1st

The wait is over. 5 star power forward Cheick Diallo has finally been cleared by the NCAA, per Gary Parrish. He will be able to start playing with the Jayhawks on December 1st. They ruled that he received "limited impermissible benefits," which are the stated cause of his missing the first five games of the season.

Diallo's eligibility concerns had become somewhat of a sideshow for head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks, with fans left to speculate as to his status even four games into the season. Last weekend, Self began to fire public shots at the NCAA for a lack of partnership with the University in the investigation, and alleged failures to meet deadlines and live up to their promises. In recent weeks, high profile names like Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale had joined in becoming increasingly critical of the NCAA's handling of the case as well.

With Diallo, Kansas' frontcourt no longer has to rely on big minutes from traditional role players like Landen Lucas and Jamari Traylor, or raw true freshman Carlton Bragg. Self has raved about Diallo's pace, and scouting reports suggest he will add valuable rim protection that the team currently lacks. It's unclear how long it will take to ease Diallo into the existing rotation, but fans of Kansas and college basketball overall are already excited about seeing what he can do.