Not One, Not Two, But Three Basketball Recruits in Lexington This Weekend

So we heard that 2013 commitment Derek Willis would be visiting our lovely city this weekend, but many people are unaware that two other potential recruits are also in town for a visit. Dominic Woodson, a class of 2013 center that lists UK among his final ten schools, made the trip up from Huntington Prep, as did Montaque Gill-Caesar (below), a relatively unknown class of 2015 wing player who plays with Andrew Wiggins on a regular basis.

After playing his freshman year at Ontario’s Vaughan Secondary School, Gill-Caesar recently transferred to Huntington Prep, and it’s safe to say that his move to the States will garner him some more attention from recruiting services. Last month, NBE Basketball ranked him the 15th best prospect in his class, but other than that, Gill-Caesar has largely stayed off the recruiting radar. His coach at Huntington Prep notes that Gill-Caesar “doesn’t back down” from Wiggins, and those who have seen Gill-Caesar play are impressed by his athleticism, strength, and shooting. If all that is true, it seems like we’ll be hearing a lot more about him as recruiting season heats up.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Calipari and “Up-Transferring”

A long, long, time ago- okay, last month, but that’s eons in Internet age- Luke Winn of SI.com wrote about the trend of “up-transferring,” in which basketball players who are at schools that would be middling in the 1-10 hot scale decide to date up a couple of numbers. Historically, players have tended to transfer down to schools where they’d get more playing time or play a greater role rather than moving up the college basketball ladder; however, this season, 25 players will be eligible for basketball action after transferring to schools with more impressive college basketball programs than their previous schools.

 

Two such up-transfers are on Kentucky’s 2012-2013 roster, with Ryan Harrow (via N.C. State) and Julius Mays (via Wright State) expected to play significant roles this season. The chatter surrounding UCF’s Keith Clanton seems more and more like just that-chatter- as we inch closer to the official start of school, but it’s still evident that Calipari’s participation in the up-transfer phenomenon is more evidence of his tendency to have his finger on the pulse of the latest college basketball trends. Calipari is notorious well-known for embracing incoming freshmen who are assumed to be one-and-done players. However, opening the doors to transfers from mid-major programs shows a different aspect of his coaching philosophy; basically, that while talent is enough to win championships (see also: 2011-2012 season, #8, etc), he values experience as well.

Cal’s legions of haters blast him for excessively relying on young lineups while running an NBA-factory mill. Ryan Harrow and Julius Mays buck this trend and give the Cats roster next season a well-rounded look. As a competitor for the starting point guard position, Harrow will be entrusted with the position of floor general and filling the big shoes of former Cal point guards Derrick Rose, John Wall, Brandon Knight, and Marquis Teague- all of whom went pro after one year of college play. Wright, meanwhile, is expected to give the Cats some cushion in three-point shooting while providing the steadying influence of a senior, a la Darius Miller. Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin, and Alex Poythress may be the sexier storylines, but journalists and fans that follow UK closely agree that Harrow and Wright may be the difference between a Final Four and a National Championship. Acquiring these up-transfers helps refute the argument that Calipari focuses only on flashy, big name recruits that will dominate Sportscenter’s Top Ten before hanging out in the green room of the NBA draft the following June.

 Recently, Tara Bilby argued that Calipari’s greatest coaching challenge in the near future would be finding the next Darius Miller, a glue guy from the heartland of Kentucky. I’d personally like to see Cal take on the challenge of reaching out to current players with Kentucky-caliber potential who aren’t happy in their current situations and selling UK to them. It would be even better to see him take those players and develop them into first round draft picks who may have otherwise been overlooked. We know he’s got the “take teenager, make him into an NBA professional” job down; but how about “taking a college basketball player and helping him reach his full potential, even if it means reteaching him a new style of play than he’s previously worked with and THEN turn him into an NBA professional”?

Sure, many call that “poaching” and argue that it’s an unethical approach, but people said the same thing about recruiting one and done players. Eventually, all coaches will be doing so in order to try and keep their programs on top of college basketball. Such a recruiting tactic would also be in line with Calipari’s “players first” motto, because it would keep the player’s best interests at heart by leading them to a program that would be better suited to their personal needs and wants. And when you’re already perceived as the biggest cheater in college basketball- what do you really have to lose?

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: ksrcollege.com

Tyler Roberson Lists Kentucky Among His Final Ten

According to Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop, 2013 power forward Tyler Roberson has narrowed his list of schools to ten, and (surprise surprise) Kentucky has made the cut. A New Jersey native, Roberson is 6’8” with great versatility. He’s able to hit a jump hook, attack with the ball on the floor, and make long shots with consistency. Rivals lists him as a four star recruit and 53rd in his class.

Other finalists include Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Rutgers, Seton Hall, SMU, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Villanova. Kentucky has yet to offer him a scholarship.

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

True Life: I’m a Top Basketball Recruit

As Kentucky fans, we know what happens from the moment a highly coveted basketball recruit steps foot onto our campus as an official member of the team- the endless requests for pictures, the autographing of babies, and the cereal tributes made in their likenesses- but what happens while they’re still in high school is a little bit of a mystery. Luckily, Robbi Pickeral of ESPN.com spent a day with Kennedy Meeks, the second-ranked center in the class of 2013, to shed some light on what goes on behind the scenes in the daily life of a top high school player.

Ranked 28th overall in the class of 2013, Meeks is a 6-9 hunk of a center who rightfully shares Glen Davis’ “Big Baby” moniker. He has over a dozen scholarship offers (not yet one from UK, although he has expressed an interest in the school) and probably four times as many daily text messages from top tier coaches. His family has pitched in to help manage his recruitment, each relative with a different role  in academics, advise, and AAU trips financing (although they are all constantly on the watch for shoes that fit Meeks’ size 17 feet. They should probably ask Jarnell Stokes for some recommendations).

And of course, with the constant travel comes separation from his family and support system- plus nearly missing out on milestone high school events, such as prom:

The hardest part of pursuing his dream, Meeks admitted, is being away from his close-knit family so often. Playing high-level AAU basketball has meant traveling almost every weekend since April and competing sometimes twice a day. In June and July alone, Meeks found himself at camps and/or tournaments in Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., South Carolina and Richmond, Va.

The only way he was able to make it to his prom in May was to fly home early from an event in Texas. And because he had so little time to spare, he counted on family to have his clothes and transportation ready when his plane landed.

The article is an interesting look at the intense schedules and pressures that inevitably come on the road to a college decision. Meeks delegates the task of answering texts and phone calls and juggling recruits to one aunt while he’s playing in games- it’s overwhelming enough to make you understand why Jabari Parker would change his phone number and keep those precious digits private. What’s even more daunting is realizing that if everything goes according to plan, this pressure-cooker situation won’t stop for the players- it will continue through college, through draft combines, and through NBA careers.

At Kentucky, we focus on what recruits can do for us and how Calipari is working his magic to lure high caliber players, forgetting that the recruiting path goes two ways and high school players see their games and interactions with coaches as “job interviews.” Click here for the full article and remember- they may be our future national champions, but until then, they’re just kids playing the sport they love and hoping to make a career out of it.

And, in case you were wondering (which I know you were, because recruiting tidbits are all we have to subside on for now), Meeks is trying to narrow it down to five schools by this weekend and make a final decision after taking official visits.  He says he’s not leaning towards any specific schools yet. He also had a flattop at one point in his life.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Florida’s Number One?

Earlier this week, five-star power forward Chris Walker committed to Florida, joining his AAU teammate Kasey Hill (a five-star point guard) and prompting Mrs. Donovan to call the bakery right away. The two are ranked seventh and sixth in their class, respectively, prompting many recruiting analysts have been quick to crown Florida the number one recruiting class in 2013.

So far.

It’s still way too early to label Florida the best 2013 recruiting class in the SEC, let alone the nation- especially when John Vincent Calipari is involved. Kentucky has secured only one commitment from the class of 2013, in-state power forward Derek Willis, but the Cats are expected to land multiple other players in the top ten- the Harrison twins, Jabari Parker, and Andrew Wiggins are all major possibilities, with James Young widely expected to be the first to commit aaaaaaany time now (seriously, James, let’s go).

Come to Papa. 

Still, even though there’s still a lot of recruiting to be done, Florida is already being talked about as title contenders- and strangely, I’m a fan of this. I think it’s refreshing to hear about a rival SEC team on the national stage, and I’m ready for a little more excitement in the SEC than we had last year. If Florida maintains its status as our “rival” on the SEC schedule (which is currently up in the air), we’d have two marquee games on our conference schedule (one of which that would be at Rupp) that could potentially be top-ten match ups. Add in the Billy the Kid vs Coach Cal storyline with the freshmen phenoms and best basketball teams in the conference, and you get a ton of national exposure, big-game experience, and preparation for the post-season- all of which are things Coach Cal strives for when making the schedule.

SEC basketball has had its reputation beaten down a little bit in the past couple years. Realistically, Cal can’t get every recruit that catches his eye, and if we can’t have them, I’d rather the recruits go somewhere else in the SEC to strengthen the conference overall and give us some quality basketball to watch. Our non-conference schedule will be ridiculous in 2013, and it’d be great for the momentum to carry us into a strong conference schedule. Steamrolling the SEC last year was a blast, don’t get me wrong- but let’s add some drama to 2013.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: ksrcollege.com

The “Cool” Factor: Coach K vs Cal

Guys, I never thought we’d be having this conversation. Seriously. When it comes to whose birthday party I’d rather go to, who I’d rather have a beer with, and who I would want texting me the casual “hey, whats up?” on a random afternoon, there’s no question- Coach Cal is at the top of my list. We’ve said it for years, but Calipari has the “cool” thing down to a science. Invites LeBron, Drake, Jay-Z, and all these other guys without last names to games? Check. Invites NBA players to practice with his team during last summer’s lockout? Check. Most draft picks of any coach in the past four years, including three number one overall picks in the last five years? Check. #Humblebrag tweet about how he had to chill on the recruiting trail to talk to NBA teams about his six guys? Check. Flying off to Pisa, just to get some pizza? Jury’s still out, but I’d hazard a check.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Calipari Cool is… Coach K. A man so inarguably uncool that I can’t even think of a clever play on words implying he’s a nerd. Never before has a coach so embodied the stereotype of his university. Weird Al’s “White and Nerdy” could be his theme song. Don’t get me wrong, the man can coach- but he’s just not hip.

Judge this picture against Terrence’s glamour shot.

At least, not in my mind. Marcus Lee begs to differ. The 6’8” forward from California is playing in the Nike Global Challenge this weekend, and apparently was star-struck by the fact that Krzyzewski is coaching Team USA in the Olympics (from Adam Zagoria’s blog).

“Before this, I called him(Coach K) and talked to him and said, ‘So, will I see you during these games?’” Lee said after putting up 16 points on 8-for-9 shooting to go with 6 rebounds in USA West’s 98-69 rout of Puerto Rico Friday night.

“He was like, ‘No, because I’m still coaching the USA.’ And I just froze. I’m like, ‘He just got so much cooler.’”

I can see why recruits would find Krzyzewski coaching Team USA more exciting than Calipari coaching the Dominican Republic. I get that. ‘Murica, f*** yeah, and all that star-spangled jazz. The Dominican Republic, meanwhile, fell short of their Olympic bid. But, let’s think for a second. Calipari has coached Anthony Davis, the roster’s newest and youngest addition, and pals around with Lebron on weekends. If it weren’t for his torn ACL, former Calipari point guard Derrick Rose would be on that list too. No one from Duke is represented on Team USA; Krzyzewski only sees these guys during prep time for the Olympics. Calipari, on the other hand, has a better proven track record when it comes to placing guys in the League- the first step to playing on Team USA in the first place.

Also, Coach Cal retired from coaching the DR National Team after their failure to make the London Olympics. Many have pegged him as the USA’s Olympic coach-in-waiting. Hannah Montana would call it the best of both worlds- a college coach with more strong bonds to professional players than check-ins at Orange Leaf. In four years, Team USA’s roster will likely be filled with more former UK players, as Davis, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and more will have the necessary professional experience under their belts. In the meantime, Cal’s early summer vacation just gives him more time to talk to the recruits that Coach K is limiting his time with.

Plus, according to Oscar Combs, Cal still found a way to make an impression with recruits during his DR team’s scrimmage with USA last week:

So, in summary, playing for a coach who led Team USA for the London Olympics? Yeah, that’s cool. But playing for a coach who can better prepare you to play on Team USA? Much cooler. Krzyzewski is getting great PR right now for coaching the Olympics team, but at Kentucky, players and coaches get that exposure year round.

Also, Mike Krzyzewski has three tweets and 1,312 followers to John Calipari’s roughly 5,500 tweets and 1.2 million followers. Because as we all know, the only way to judge coolness is by comparing amounts of Twitter followers.

@KristenGeilKSR. 4,655 tweets. 721 followers.

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Source Predicts Andrew Wiggins to Kentucky

Following a weekend of impressive play by the Canadian small forward, at least one person thinks Andrew Wiggins will end up at Kentucky. Dick Weiss, college basketball writer for the New York Daily News, tweeted the early projection this evening.

 ”Best talent in his class”? We may be used to that at Kentucky, but it still doesn’t get old.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

James Young Puts On A Clinic in Victory

In leading his team to a 100-86 victory over Andrew Wiggins and the Canadians in the Nike Global Challenge final, UK recruit James Young dominated the second half and seemd to score at will. After commenting yesterday that his list of schools was “Kentucky, and then everyone else,” Young followed an average first half to suddenly begin hitting three pointers to secure the USA Midwest’s victory. Young finished the game with 29 points (12-23 on field goals, 5-10 three point shooting) and 10 rebounds, and was named the USA MVP of the Global Challenge.

And despite being forced to wear the most garish and un-Canadian uniforms possible, fellow UK recruit Andrew Wiggins managed to score 24 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals for Canada, including one memorable possession in which he grabbed three offensive rebounds. Wiggins also made the International All-Tourney team and was named co-MVP along with Trey Lyles. Don’t believe me about the uniforms? Here, take a look.

Please, tell me how these uniforms represent the Great White North.

Young is unabashedly crushing on Kentucky, and after a performance like today’s, he seems like the kind of player Calipari would love to have. However, since 5 pm marks the end of the evaluation period, all college coaches had to leave the final game early. Young is expected to visit Kentucky sometime this summer, when he can hopefully give Calipari an in-person recap of his buckets-on-buckets performance today.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com

Andrew Wiggins may have stolen the show today during Canada’s win over USA East in the Nike Global Challenge, but Kuran Iverson is still optimistic that he can make an impression on the multitude of major program coaches watching this weekend.  The four-star small forward from the class of 2013 lists Kentucky as one of his finalists, along with Syracuse, UConn, Florida, Oklahoma State, Indiana, and Memphis.

Calipari was reportedly watching him as well as Wiggins in today’s game, but Iverson fell a little short of the hyped-up match up between the opposing forwards. Kuran was quiet today, scoring nine points on 3-7 shooting (2-4 three-pointers) and grabbing five rebounds in 24 minutes. He’ll have another chance to impress Calipari tonight against Brazil and hopes to visit schools this summer before making a decision in the fall.

For now, some highlights. I can already say with certainty that his fresh fade would fill Nerlen’s flat bill nicely.

Source: http

NikeGlobal Challenge: Canada Edges USA East

With an overtime score of 101-96, UK recruit Andrew Wiggins led Canada to victory over USA East in the Nike Global challenge today.Wiggins started off hot, scoring 13 before halftime en route to 23 points, including a dominating basket-block-basket sequence across three consecutive possessions (or as we call it on my playground, a block sandwich with bucket bread). Canada led 55-43 at the half, but the USA boys held Canada to only seven points in the third quarter to end the period leading 63-62. After Theo Pinson three put USA up 88-85 with 37.8 seconds left, Wiggins calmly drained two free throws to tie the game with eleven seconds left and force overtime. The kid has ice in his veins, and his competitive nature showed in his heroic efforts carrying Canada to victory.

The list of coaches attending the game was star-studded, by college basketball standards.Along with Calipari (who was watching Wiggins and USA East’s Kuran Iverson), coaches in attendance included Roy Williams, Bill Self, Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Tom Izzo, Tom Crean, Jim Calhoun, Frank Haith, and assistants from Syracuse (Jim Boeheim, along with Coach K, is busy with the US Olympic team training). Here, a little game of “I Spy…” (h/t Adam Zagoria):

Both teams will play again tonight, with USA East competing against Brazil (or Brasil, in global terms) at 6 pm and Canada facing China at 8 pm. Canada will likely make the finals, as China is still winless in the challenge.

@KristenGeilKSR

Source: kentuckysportsradio.com