Freshman prank: Jayhawks trick novice Cheick Diallo

Kansas freshman Cheick Diallo walks out for pre-game warm-ups against Loyola Maryland, on Dec. 1, 2015.

Kansas University’s players played a joke on freshman Cheick Diallo before what turned out to be a 94-61 rout of Loyola in Diallo’s first game with the Jayhawks.

They had him run onto the court first for warmups, but did not follow through the northwest tunnel, leaving him out there alone.

“Actually Lagerald (Vick) set it up because we did it to Lagerald and Carlton (Bragg, freshmen) the first game. We had them run out by themselves,” sophomore Devonté Graham said.

“We actually did it back there (in northwest tunnel). Cheick caught us, then he started running out again. We acted like we were running and stopped again. We kinda fooled him twice. I think it made him even more nervous a little bit,” Graham added.

Diallo finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 16 minutes.

Greg Ostertag is KU’s only other true freshman to score more points (15) in fewer minutes (12) in his Jayhawk debut (since 1988-89 when records were first kept).

Diallo’s three blocks put his name among David Padgett (5), Darrell Arthur (3) and Ben McLemore (3) as Jayhawks to post three or more blocks in a debut since 1989.

— See what people were saying about the game (and Cheick Diallo) during KUsports.com’s live coverage