2011 UK signing class

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2011 UK signing class - 6/13/2010 8:50:09 AM

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UK currently has eleven scholarship players for the 2010-11 season. Coach Calipari has said he will sign one more player this summer....we will see.   So one or two scholarships will be unfilled in 2010-11. Josh Harrellson will graduate next spring.   Brandon Knight and Enes Kanter are probably one-and-done players. We will see about Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb, but one or both could return to UK for the 2011-12 season.

With that said, I expect Coach Calipari to sign five new prospects in his next recruiting class. But it might turn out to be four, depending on whether Calipari signs anyone this summer and whether Jones is one-and-done.

ALREADY COMMITTED TO UK

Michael Gilchrist, WF, 6'6" 190#, Elizabeth, NJ
Marquis Teague, PG, 6'2" 180#, Indianapolis, IN

UK LEANS

Michael Chandler, C, 6'10" 225#, Indianapolis, IN
Tony Wroten, WG/PG, 6'4" 180#, Seattle, WA

OTHER KEY PROSPECTS WITH UK SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS

Trevor Lacey, PG, 6'3" 190#, Huntsville, AL
Damien Leonard, WG, 6'4" 180#, Greenville, SC
Ky Madden, PG/WG, 6'4" 180#, Lepanto, AR
Quincy Miller, WF, 6'8" 200#, High Point, NC
LeBryan Nash, PF/WF, 6'7" 215#, Dallas, TX
Johnny O'Bryant, PF/C, 6'8" 240#, Cleveland, MS
LaQuinton Ross, WF, 6'8" 200#, Burlington, NJ
Adonis Thomas, WF, 6'6" 210#, Memphis, TN
Amir Williams, PF, 6'9" 225#, Beverly Hills, MI

DISCUSSION

You never know for sure in the business of D-1 recruiting, but this class may turn out to be fairly easy to figure out in advance. Gilchrist and Teague are already committed. Teague fills Calipari's annual need to sign an elite PG. Gilchrist is a once-in-a-decade wing prospect.   Now, Calipari needs another guard who can score and defend on the perimeter, plus several more athletic baseline players who can defend physical SEC athletes on the low block.

Gilchrist and Teague are currently considered the two best high school prospects in the nation. Their verbal commitments to UK in April grew a lot of national media attention. I expect both to stick with their UK commitments.

It may only be a matter of time before Chandler and Wroten commit to UK. We will see. Chandler verballed to UL before he discovered Teague would commit to UK.   Then Chandler de-committed, and now he is a strong UK lean. Wroten has made his love of UK publicly known. The only question is whether Calipari prefers Chandler and Wroten to his other alternatives. But since both sport current UK scholarship offers, it's probably going to happen.

I believe Johnny O'Bryant is fairly likely to end up in UK's class as well. It's clear that Calipari needs more baseline players. Arguably, O'Bryant, LeBryan Nash, and Quincy Miller are the best uncommitted baseline players left in the national 2011 class.   O'Bryant has been believed to be an Ole Miss lean. But O'Bryant is visiting UK this month, and his public comments sound a lot like a guy who is about ready to become a Wildcat. FWIW, O'Bryant is a stronger, more physical player than Miller on the low block.

OTOH, Miller can put the ball on the floor, and has a floor game that would fit perfectly in the DDMO.   Miller currently has at least 10 major D-1 scholarship offers. It is believed that he likes Duke and UK best. Calipari is recruiting Miller personally.

Nash is another interesting F prospect to keep an eye on.   Nash is a combo forward, and one of the nation's elite prospects in 2011. He is athletic enough to play on the perimeter, and big enough to be developed as a PF. He has the ball skills for the DDMO. Many observers believe Nash's list is down to Oklahoma State, Baylor, and UK. UK hasn't signed a basketball prospect from the state of Texas since Jeff Brassow.   Will Nash break that drought?

I think Calipari's next class will be Gilchrist, Teague, and Wroten....plus two more out of Chandler, O'Bryant, Miller, and Nash.    Right now, Chandler and O'Bryant appear to be the most likely, but Calipari will certainly take Nash and/or Miller if he can sign them.

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RE: 2011 UK signing class - 7/30/2010 4:53:22 PM

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Anthony Davis (PF, 6'9" 225#) has become a primary UK target this summer, and Davis is known to like UK a lot. It looks like Davis may decide between UK and Ohio State.

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RE: 2011 UK signing class - 8/14/2010 3:36:48 PM

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Anthony Davis has now verbally committed to sign with UK in November. At least one more scholarship is still available in UK's class.   If any underclassmen leave in April, there will be more. I think Enes Kanter is a sure bet to leave. At this point, I'm guessing Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones will have to establish their NBA credentials during the season, although either is a distinct possibility to leav as a "one-and-done".   There is also the issue of Darnell Dodson, who will not play this season but has an open door to return in 2011-12 if he stays academically eligible and pays his outstanding dues to UK's coaching staff.

So I think this will be a five-man recruiting class. Three of the scholarships are already committed (Gilchrist, Teague, Davis).    I think it plays out like this....

Calipari might take one more commitment before the November signing period.   Then he will add one or two more in the spring, depending on who stays and goes.

I do not think Quincy Miller will be a Cat. However, Calipari has stepped up his recruitment of Trevor Lacey. So IMO, these are the prospects to watch:

Chane Behanan, PF, 6'6" 250#, Bowling Green, KY
Trevor Lacey, PG, 6'3" 190#, Huntsville, AL
Damien Leonard, WG, 6'4" 180#, Greenville, SC
Ky Madden, PG/WG, 6'4" 180#, Lepanto, AR
LeBryan Nash, PF/WF, 6'7" 215#, Dallas, TX
LaQuinton Ross, WF, 6'8" 200#, Burlington, NJ
Adonis Thomas, WF, 6'6" 210#, Memphis, TN
Amir Williams, PF, 6'9" 225#, Beverly Hills, MI
Tony Wroten, WG/PG, 6'4" 180#, Seattle, WA

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RE: 2011 UK signing class - 8/29/2010 6:49:14 AM

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This weekend, UK has received a verbal commitment from Kyle Wiltjer, a 6'9" 230# PF from Portland, OR. Wiltjer is a fine prospect, but most observers believed he was headed to Gonzaga or Texas. In any event, UK needed another baseline player in this recruiting class because Enes Kanter is almost certainly a one-and-done player.

Wiltjer is known for his excellent shooting touch and great vision of the court. He is also a fine passer and a great teammate. His defense and rebounding can improve, but he has the athletic tools to excel at the D-1 level. I doubt he is a one-and-done player, but I don't think he will be around Lexington more than three years.

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