Looking at how college basketball and more specifically....college basketball recruiting and how it's changed in recent years leaves me feeling a bit sick to my stomach. Can any true, purist college basketball fan take a look at the situation and not feel the same way? It just seems that the much greater attention given to college basketball recruiting has elevated many kids who are still high school sophomores and juniors into national celebrities, whom college coaches and fans alike drool over. Add in some AAU coaches who are frequently thought to be "middle men" in the recruiting process, the shoe companies and the more dishonest college coaches in the business and suddenly you have something that looks as sleezy and dishonest as (gulp) politics or the used car sales!
How has the sport we so greatly love been reduced to this point? To find the answer, you have to go back a number of years as this didn't all start overnight, though the effects have become greatly magnified over the past 10 years. In 1978, the AAU went through a change that took it from being mainly an organization that trained and prepared hopeful Olympians to what it has become today. The AAU does do some good things. They give these talented kids the chance to play against lots of other equally talented kids from around the nation. Thus, they develop from very good players into outstanding players at a much quicker rate than they would do otherwise. Without the AAU, kids who are now making major contributions as freshmen or sophomores might not reach their full potential until they are juniors or seniors. But with this good comes an even greater amount of bad. It's no great secret that some of the AAU coaches are looked upon as dishonest....guys who steer players toward certain programs, probably for compensation. Some of these coaches are so well known for their tactics that even fans of college programs cringe when they hear their schools are recruiting players associated with them. Kentucky fans who frequent the various message boards were upset about a certain player UK was rumored to be recruiting in the 2006 class, simply because he was associated with a certain AAU coach who I will leave nameless.
But this is just scratching the surface. What other negative things can we readily identify about the world of recruiting and college basketball in general that have drastically changed over the course of the last 10 years?
How about shoe companies? I remember not too many years ago to a time when you had to be Michael Jordan to have your own line of shoes. Now the shoe companies are going after high school kids who are demonstrating the potential to be future NBA stars! Look at all the shoe camps. And look at all the talk by some high school kids who base their list of schools on what brand of shoe the teams wear! It has become ridiculous. And the way shoe companies target what is essentially kids is sickening.
Now the recruiting business has also spawned for profit ventures that follow recruiting in-depth. Fifteen years ago, most fans of college basketball had no idea who their recruits were until they laced up their shoes and took the court as freshmen. Now, these same fans are treated to a daily diet of reports about recruits who are often still high school juniors. They know who all the recruits are that even have a remore interest in attending their respective schools. And they know based upon rankings where each kid stacks up in relation to another, provided you believe this numerical ranking system really provides a realistic measure of how kids will perform. While such services are fun for fans and bring them into the mix, it also serves to elevate the celebrity status of these kids. What would have been only known to the inner circles of college programs just little more than a decade ago is now common knowledge among hundreds of thousands of fans around the nation. Having lots of high school games and the McDonald's All American game now airing on ESPN each year only makes matters worse. So instead of having these kids, even the good ones, show up on campus as freshmen who are relatively unknowns, they are now arriving on campus as super stars before they ever even play a single college game. Doesn't that just seem wrong?
As if this isn't already enough to make one vomit, look at what this increased exposure and attention has done to the mindset of the recruits themselves. How many times do we see these top rated, 5 star caliber recruits who have been elevated to celebrity status by the internet, ESPN, Nike, Adidas, etc behave as prima donnas? All too often I am afraid. Now, I can't really blame these kids for this. Afterall, they are just kids. This is how one would expect most 16 year olds to act when suddenly elevated to celebrity status. But I do blame the adults who create these situations in the first place. That includes us all to some degree. It includes talking heads at ESPN. It includes radio. It includes internet recruiting services. It includes shoe companies who are "robbing the cradle" in an attempt to find the next big star. It includes college coaches who are forced to stoop to new lows in order to secure verbal committments from these young hotshots to keep their programs at a high level in an age of greater parity and less patient fans. It includes the NBA who's seeking new blood and until the past year had begun plucking many of these top kids straight out of high school. And sadly, it even includes many of us, ordinary college basketball fans. Today fans are connected to the business of recruiting in ways previously impossible before the explosion of the internet. Fans of top schools expect their coaches to land some of these top notch recruits (the 5 star Mickey D's types) each and every year. If they fail to do so, these fans take to the airwaves and internet, calling for the heads of the coaches. It puts even greater pressure on the coaches to succeed and no doubt contributes to the cheating that seems to be taking place on a fairly regular basis. Just look at the number of programs who have been on probation over the last ten years or who are being investigated for possible violations. And look at the number of coaches who are widely viewed as dishonest and sleezy who haven't yet been caught....or have been caught with their hand in the cookie jar but are still coaching. It's mind boggling. And of course, the NCAA in it's infinite wisdom seeks to punish only the program while these coaches are free to walk away from the mess they have created and take a new job elsewhere, while the fans, the team and the university take the real punishment. This hardly seems fair, does it?
After looking at all of this, I am sure you are thinking it can't get worse. But can it? I am afraid so. Just look at how the attitudes of many top recruits have changed lately. Fifteen years ago, most of these kids chose programs based on their history of excellence, their ability to win championships, because of their coaches, etc. They wanted to be a part of that excellence. They knew they would have to work hard. They knew it was a team effort. And in many cases, kids in the past would beg coaches for a chance to play for them. Now, it's often just the opposite. Coaches have to get down on their knees and beg these kids to come play for them. They have to promise many starting jobs as freshmen to get them to jump on board. And rather than many being interested in the program and asking how they can help it, they are now asking what the program can do for them. Rather than asking, can I come in and help win a title here, many are asking if they can come in, play one year then be a lottery pick. Kids often choose their schools not based on that school's tradition, the quality of the program, the quality of the coach or the things that would have been important 20 years ago. Now, many sadly want to go to whatever school will give them the best chance to get maximum minutes early on and allow them to shine so they can get to the NBA as quick as possible. Rather than a "team effort", many are more interested in a "me effort". We see it countless times each year. And it truely is sickening. And to some degree, we are all a bit responsible for taking this sport we love and making it into this sleezy, dishonest, big business that it has become.
Is it possible to change this? Probably not fully. Things have just travelled too far down this path already to regain full control over. But conditions could be improved. Get the shoe companies out of these camps and away from 15 and 16 year old kids. Clean up the AAU. Punish college coaches who cheat instead of the schools. Get the NBA to change it's policies for entrance to resemble that which the NFL uses, ensuring these kids stay in school until they are at least juniors, rather than allowing them to turn pro after just one year. If a kid has immense talent but not the brain to be a student, then leave them another option such as the NBDL in which to develop and refine their skills. But for goodness sake, lets stop college basketball from simply being a year long barrier between these kids and the NBA. To many, that's how they seem to view it, a necessary hassle they must endure for a year before they can get a multi-million dollar contract in the NBA. Such a situation is really hurting college basketball. And it's not helping these kids any either. Sure, some of them get a chance to be millionaires earlier as a result. But many don't have the maturity to handle such fame and fortune at so young an age. Many attempt to make the jump to the NBA before they are ready....thinking they are the next Jordan based on the amount of hype they have recieved dating back to their high school days. But how many have we seen end up not being 1st round draft picks who just disappear within a couple of years? How many of these kids simply flame out because they don't have the level of maturity or experience that 3 or 4 years of college basketball would give them? We may never know. But until something is done, I expect college basketball recruiting to become even more cut-throat, dishonest and shamful than it already is. You can expect the "posse" effect of unsavory characters surrounding top recruits and guiding their decision making, often for personal gain at the expense of these kids to continue. And it's sad. It's sad that a sport I love so dearly is being reduced to a sleezy business consumed by greed....greedy coaches, greedy shoe companies, the greedy NBA, greedy young recruits who are tempted by millions of dollars and even greedy fans who only want their programs to win and will simply turn a blind eye to the unsavory behind the scenes stuff that often takes place to reach that outcome.
I suppose in light of all of this, we should all as fans be really proud whenever we end up getting classes such as Derrick Jasper, Michael Porter, Jodie Meeks and Perry Stevenson....all quality kids, though who may be slightly below Mickey D's AA status. These are all kids who chose UK because this is where they want to be. They all love UK. They like our coach. They like us as fans. They didn't come here with the intent of all being starters from game one and simply being here for a year getting their ticket punched to the NBA. They all came here with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. They came because they love UK's rich tradition and because they want to be a part of it. They didn't come because our coach was the high bidder who promised them max PT to get their stats in order to be 1st round draft picks after one season. I am proud we have kids like that. Those are the kids who will stay 3 or 4 years. Those are the kids who will play as a team. Those are the kids who will listen to their coach. And those are the kids who won't pout if they don't all start the first game. And those are the kids who will help us win another national title. I am so proud we have kids like this. And I am proud that we have a coach who is honest and doesn't stoop to the levels of some coaches just to get a kid at any cost. And I am proud I have never heard Tubby piling it on thick, such as taking a kid's hand in his and telling him how he has "angelic eyes" or promise him he'll be in the NBA the next year. If we must resort to using the tactics that I see some coaches use in order to land the hotshot 5 star recruits who are NBA bound within a year, then I don't want them. Because the whole process is gross. And unlike some people, I am unwilling to stoop to any level just to win.
What do you think? Doesn't looking at what this process has become make you feel ill at times?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Blue/White Game Observations
By: Ryan Daniel
WI Senior Moderator
Ramel Bradley and Bobby Perry lead the Kentucky Blue squad over the Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris lead Kentucky White squad. I watched some of this game and I will tell you I am very opptimistic about this team.
The freshmen were very productive. Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks are both beasts. Jasper will be the best passer on this team, he runs the offense very well and plays outstanding defense. Meeks can just flat out score and he will do this for us consistently.
Stevenson may have only scored two points today, but i was impressed by him. He had 7 rebounds and one or two blocks. No one really expects him to score a lot, but they do expect him to help on the board and defense, which is what he did. Stevenson did get a chance to score a couple of more times, but he seemed happier just dishing the ball off. He is also very athletic, maybe the most athletic person on the team, and i would say when Holsopple is done with him, he will be a very good player down in the post.
Porter did well today, but wasn't overly impressive. He did alright leading the team, but seemed to be outplayed by Jasper or Bradley for most of the game. He did make a really nice runner off the glass and a good three point shot, but not much else offensively. He did alright distributing the ball, but he seemed nervous and it showed, he was really shut down by Jasper by most of the game.
Morris is THE MAN. He can score at will and is the best player on this team. He has the NBA body and is showing NBA skills. He didn't play 100% the entire game, but hopefully that will change during the season. Joe Crawford scored at will today. He was shooting the ball from the perimeter and he drove to the basket with ease. He will be a beast this year and will compete with Morris for leading scorer on this team.
Ramel Bradley lead this team very well today. I actually saw him pass up shots today, I had never seen him do this before today. He was distributing the ball very well, and he drove to the basket very strong.
Bobby Perry looked very good today and showed that he still intended to play this season like he did in last year's tourny. He scored 6 threes if I am not mistaken, he may have made more. He reminded me today a little of Jeff Sheppard. If you remember, Jeff Sheppard was the master in 1998 of coming off the screen and shooting the three, well Bobby Perry did that all day today, he shot very well and he looked more comfortable on the court than i have seen him in a while.
Sheray did pretty well, he held his own in the post. He did well on the boards and scored when he found the oppurtunity. Good overall game by Sheray.
Jared Carter was very dissappointing today and I don't see him starting any time soon. He did not score one point today and was repeatively beat up and down the court today and beat down low and on the boards by Woo. Woo really did well in my mind today. He scored 14 points and made several good jumpers, one of his jumpers actually was crucial for the blue team and helped lead the blue squad to victory, pretty good game by Woo in my opinion.
The team did very well overall and i was impressed, I hope this is a good sign for the upcoming season. Well guys this is my two scents, hope this helped those of you who didn't get to see or listen to it.
Also here is the box score for the scrimmage:
http://www.ukathletics.com/stats/2006_07/mbasketball/10-21-06.htm
WI Senior Moderator
Ramel Bradley and Bobby Perry lead the Kentucky Blue squad over the Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris lead Kentucky White squad. I watched some of this game and I will tell you I am very opptimistic about this team.
The freshmen were very productive. Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks are both beasts. Jasper will be the best passer on this team, he runs the offense very well and plays outstanding defense. Meeks can just flat out score and he will do this for us consistently.
Stevenson may have only scored two points today, but i was impressed by him. He had 7 rebounds and one or two blocks. No one really expects him to score a lot, but they do expect him to help on the board and defense, which is what he did. Stevenson did get a chance to score a couple of more times, but he seemed happier just dishing the ball off. He is also very athletic, maybe the most athletic person on the team, and i would say when Holsopple is done with him, he will be a very good player down in the post.
Porter did well today, but wasn't overly impressive. He did alright leading the team, but seemed to be outplayed by Jasper or Bradley for most of the game. He did make a really nice runner off the glass and a good three point shot, but not much else offensively. He did alright distributing the ball, but he seemed nervous and it showed, he was really shut down by Jasper by most of the game.
Morris is THE MAN. He can score at will and is the best player on this team. He has the NBA body and is showing NBA skills. He didn't play 100% the entire game, but hopefully that will change during the season. Joe Crawford scored at will today. He was shooting the ball from the perimeter and he drove to the basket with ease. He will be a beast this year and will compete with Morris for leading scorer on this team.
Ramel Bradley lead this team very well today. I actually saw him pass up shots today, I had never seen him do this before today. He was distributing the ball very well, and he drove to the basket very strong.
Bobby Perry looked very good today and showed that he still intended to play this season like he did in last year's tourny. He scored 6 threes if I am not mistaken, he may have made more. He reminded me today a little of Jeff Sheppard. If you remember, Jeff Sheppard was the master in 1998 of coming off the screen and shooting the three, well Bobby Perry did that all day today, he shot very well and he looked more comfortable on the court than i have seen him in a while.
Sheray did pretty well, he held his own in the post. He did well on the boards and scored when he found the oppurtunity. Good overall game by Sheray.
Jared Carter was very dissappointing today and I don't see him starting any time soon. He did not score one point today and was repeatively beat up and down the court today and beat down low and on the boards by Woo. Woo really did well in my mind today. He scored 14 points and made several good jumpers, one of his jumpers actually was crucial for the blue team and helped lead the blue squad to victory, pretty good game by Woo in my opinion.
The team did very well overall and i was impressed, I hope this is a good sign for the upcoming season. Well guys this is my two scents, hope this helped those of you who didn't get to see or listen to it.
Also here is the box score for the scrimmage:
http://www.ukathletics.com/stats/2006_07/mbasketball/10-21-06.htm
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
WI Weekly 10-4-06
WILDCAT INSIDERS WEEKLY
Written By Daniel Gary of WildcatInsiders.com
Hello and welcome to Wildcat Insiders Weekly. Wildcatinsiders.com is a website that was started in 2005 to give UK fans a place to get the latest news on UK sports and to voice their opinion. Now you can get the latest scoop on what's going on with UK Sports anytime at WI or here at the WI Blog.
UK Men's Basketball
It is the first week of October. Midnight Madness is still over a week away, and the seasonal temperatures make it perfect to be out on the links. So what is Tubby Smith doing? Here's a hint, his golf clubs are collecting dust. The much debated Coach of UK is out wooing recruits. In home visits, hosting recruits on campus, and making calls are in Tubby Smith’s daily planner. Many recruiting analyst have made note that Smith is recruiting harder than ever before. Some note the reason being the 13 loss season a year ago, others the fact that the last two major Power Forward targets, Tyler Hansbrough (2005) and Brandan Wright (2006) both chose North Carolina over UK. In any case, the fact of the matter is that the 2007 class is more important than any other class in recent memory.
The lone commitment for 2007 is:Mike Williams- Originally from England, this 7'0" 280 lb. Center now resides in surburban Washington, DC. Williams recently emerged as a D1 prospect after losing over 50 lbs. Williams made a visit to UK in middle September. Williams would more than likely be a recruit who would not contribute immediately, but is more of a Shagari Alleyne or Lukasz Orbzut type recruit. Some recruiting gurus have noted that the potential is there to be better in the long run than Alleyne or Orbzut.
The targets for the 2007 class are:
(1) Patrick Patterson- A 6'8" 220 lb. PF out of Huntington High in Huntington, WV, Patterson is the No. 1 target of the class without question. Patterson would be the recruit that makes UK fans forget Tyler Hansbrough and Brandan Wright. Patterson has all the tools to make an immediate impact, and will likely be a McDonald's All American. Patterson has narrowed his list down to basically 3 schools, UK, Florida, and Duke. UK has 2 things in their favor in this recruitment. Location plays in UK's favor, but even better for the Cats is that Coach Smith was onto Patterson before the other coaches were, and with that Coach Smith has built a good "rapport"-in her words, with Patterson’s mother Tywanna.
(2) Jai Lucas- A 5'8" 145 lb. PG out of Bellaire High School in Bellaire, TX, Lucas is the son of former NBA Player and Coach John Lucas. Lucas older brother John III was a star for Oklahoma St. a few years back. Although some feel that he is too small for SEC basketball, Lucas has made an impression on several scouts over the course of the summer on the AAU circuit. Lucas has stated that Coach Smith makes him feel "very comfortable", and Smith is good friends with the elder Lucas. Jai is currently choosing between UK, Maryland, and Oklahoma St. Most Analyst feel that Lucas is leaning to UK. That is great news, because Lucas and Patterson have talked about attending school together, and they have one school in common, UK. In fact, they are both scheduled to visit together on Midnight Madness weekend.
(3) AJ Stewart- A 6'8" 195 lb. Combo Forward from Jacksonville, FL, Stewart is ranked in the 90's nationally, although many analyst proclaim him to be underrated. Stewart played with 3 upperclassmen that will play D1 ball ,which kept him out of the spotlight. Known as a good defender with a good attitude, Stewart would be the prototypical Tubby Smith player in the line of Eric Daniels or Chuck Hayes. Stewart is deciding between UK, Illinois, and Florida. UK leads in his recruitment according most insiders. In fact, there is actually an internet rumor that Stewart has made a verbal commitment to UK, and that he doesn't want to announce it until after his visit on Midnight Madness weekend in order to try to persuade Patterson and Lucas to UK during the visit.
(4) James Anderson-A highly ranked SF out of Arkansas that will possibly be visiting sometime in October. In fact, Anderson may even be visiting at madness with the other above mentioned recruits. Thought once to be headed to Arkansas or Kansas, Anderson recently emerged onto the recruiting scene for the Cats. Don’t get your hopes up too much Cat fans, however we are in better shape than previously thought.
(5) Darnell Gant- A 6'8" 220 lb. Forward from Los Angeles, CA. Gant recently visited the Wildcats. Gant is also considering UCLA and Washington. Gant is described as an excellent shooter for his size. Although Gant would make a great player for the Cats, word is he will be difficult to get off of the West Coast.
(6) Chris Barnes- Barnes, a 6'8'' PF out of Georgia, visited the Cats the last weekend of September. Appears that Kentucky is a definite possibility for Barnes. Barnes has since spoken highly of he visit. Barnes and Gant, along with other members of the UK team surprised campers who were in line for Madness Tickets with Donuts.
(7 and 8) Marcus and Markieff Morris-Twins out of Philadelphia, Pa, who play for Philadelphia Prep Charter. Marcus is 6'7" 215 lbs, while Markieff is 6'8" 225 lbs. Both plan to attend the same college, however which school that is up in the air. Markieff favors UK, while Marcus favors John Calipari's Memphis squad. Both are visiting Madness weekend, so the hope is that Marcus is awed by the experience and agrees with his twin that UK is the place for them.
Those 8 are the offers that are extended that seem to be UK's most likely targets. Prep recruiting changes daily, and Coach Smith has other players in mind in case some choose other schools (which undoubtedly will happen). The two most talked about players are both in state prospects. They are Stefphon Pettigrew from Elizabethtown High School, and Jeff Brooks from Doss High in Louisville. Pettigrew burst onto the scene this summer at the Las Vegas AAU tournament where he scored 72 pts. in 2 games. Brooks just recently visited UK, and wants to play his college ball in the state of Kentucky it appears. Look for at least one of these players to be a Cat, if not both.
UK Football Heading In the Right DirectionCount me as one of the people that doesn't like Ohio St., Florida St., Penn State or even Louisville Football. Often times I talk to UK Hoop fans and ask them about Rich Brooks' squad, only to get "I like (insert team) football and UK basketball.” I am not one of those people. I am a UK fan, even though I admit there has been little too cheer about over the past 7 seasons. First Claude Bassett brought sanctions against the program, losing scholarships and leaving UK with a postseason ban. Guy Morriss saw that he would lack the upperclassmen needed to be competitive and left for Baylor. Enter Rich Brooks a little over 3 years ago. Brooks entered the picture at the lowest of lows. Brooks has taken a lot of grief, especially after this season’s loss to Louisville. The fact of the matter is that Brooks is turning things around for the Cats. UK just last year got all the scholarships back, and Brooks hauled in a Top 25 recruiting class with those scholarships. Included in that class was centerpiece recruit, 5 star DT Micah Johnson from Ft. Campbell. Johnson already has started against Texas St., and will be a major player for the Cats with experience. Brooks and staff are getting football players with talent, and with depth that will come after another full recruiting class, UK football will return to making Bowl Games with consistency.
Major Kudos goes to the UK Football team after the Florida game. Visiting the #5 ranked Gators at "The Swamp", the Cats held the lead toward the end of the second quarter. The football Cats were hurt by two questionable calls that helped seal their fate, eventually losing 26-7. The game was actually closer than the final score indicated. The Wildcats didn't go to Gainesville looking for a moral victory, however after a history of losing to Florida the past 19 seasons, many by 40+ pts, the fact of the matter is that the Cats showed just how much they have improved against Florida.
For up to date information for UK Sports, please visit http://www.wildcatinsiders.com. Sign up and join in on the discussion, its free. If you have any questions, comments, or have trouble signing up, please email us at wildcatinsiders@yahoo.com.
Written By Daniel Gary of WildcatInsiders.com
Hello and welcome to Wildcat Insiders Weekly. Wildcatinsiders.com is a website that was started in 2005 to give UK fans a place to get the latest news on UK sports and to voice their opinion. Now you can get the latest scoop on what's going on with UK Sports anytime at WI or here at the WI Blog.
UK Men's Basketball
It is the first week of October. Midnight Madness is still over a week away, and the seasonal temperatures make it perfect to be out on the links. So what is Tubby Smith doing? Here's a hint, his golf clubs are collecting dust. The much debated Coach of UK is out wooing recruits. In home visits, hosting recruits on campus, and making calls are in Tubby Smith’s daily planner. Many recruiting analyst have made note that Smith is recruiting harder than ever before. Some note the reason being the 13 loss season a year ago, others the fact that the last two major Power Forward targets, Tyler Hansbrough (2005) and Brandan Wright (2006) both chose North Carolina over UK. In any case, the fact of the matter is that the 2007 class is more important than any other class in recent memory.
The lone commitment for 2007 is:Mike Williams- Originally from England, this 7'0" 280 lb. Center now resides in surburban Washington, DC. Williams recently emerged as a D1 prospect after losing over 50 lbs. Williams made a visit to UK in middle September. Williams would more than likely be a recruit who would not contribute immediately, but is more of a Shagari Alleyne or Lukasz Orbzut type recruit. Some recruiting gurus have noted that the potential is there to be better in the long run than Alleyne or Orbzut.
The targets for the 2007 class are:
(1) Patrick Patterson- A 6'8" 220 lb. PF out of Huntington High in Huntington, WV, Patterson is the No. 1 target of the class without question. Patterson would be the recruit that makes UK fans forget Tyler Hansbrough and Brandan Wright. Patterson has all the tools to make an immediate impact, and will likely be a McDonald's All American. Patterson has narrowed his list down to basically 3 schools, UK, Florida, and Duke. UK has 2 things in their favor in this recruitment. Location plays in UK's favor, but even better for the Cats is that Coach Smith was onto Patterson before the other coaches were, and with that Coach Smith has built a good "rapport"-in her words, with Patterson’s mother Tywanna.
(2) Jai Lucas- A 5'8" 145 lb. PG out of Bellaire High School in Bellaire, TX, Lucas is the son of former NBA Player and Coach John Lucas. Lucas older brother John III was a star for Oklahoma St. a few years back. Although some feel that he is too small for SEC basketball, Lucas has made an impression on several scouts over the course of the summer on the AAU circuit. Lucas has stated that Coach Smith makes him feel "very comfortable", and Smith is good friends with the elder Lucas. Jai is currently choosing between UK, Maryland, and Oklahoma St. Most Analyst feel that Lucas is leaning to UK. That is great news, because Lucas and Patterson have talked about attending school together, and they have one school in common, UK. In fact, they are both scheduled to visit together on Midnight Madness weekend.
(3) AJ Stewart- A 6'8" 195 lb. Combo Forward from Jacksonville, FL, Stewart is ranked in the 90's nationally, although many analyst proclaim him to be underrated. Stewart played with 3 upperclassmen that will play D1 ball ,which kept him out of the spotlight. Known as a good defender with a good attitude, Stewart would be the prototypical Tubby Smith player in the line of Eric Daniels or Chuck Hayes. Stewart is deciding between UK, Illinois, and Florida. UK leads in his recruitment according most insiders. In fact, there is actually an internet rumor that Stewart has made a verbal commitment to UK, and that he doesn't want to announce it until after his visit on Midnight Madness weekend in order to try to persuade Patterson and Lucas to UK during the visit.
(4) James Anderson-A highly ranked SF out of Arkansas that will possibly be visiting sometime in October. In fact, Anderson may even be visiting at madness with the other above mentioned recruits. Thought once to be headed to Arkansas or Kansas, Anderson recently emerged onto the recruiting scene for the Cats. Don’t get your hopes up too much Cat fans, however we are in better shape than previously thought.
(5) Darnell Gant- A 6'8" 220 lb. Forward from Los Angeles, CA. Gant recently visited the Wildcats. Gant is also considering UCLA and Washington. Gant is described as an excellent shooter for his size. Although Gant would make a great player for the Cats, word is he will be difficult to get off of the West Coast.
(6) Chris Barnes- Barnes, a 6'8'' PF out of Georgia, visited the Cats the last weekend of September. Appears that Kentucky is a definite possibility for Barnes. Barnes has since spoken highly of he visit. Barnes and Gant, along with other members of the UK team surprised campers who were in line for Madness Tickets with Donuts.
(7 and 8) Marcus and Markieff Morris-Twins out of Philadelphia, Pa, who play for Philadelphia Prep Charter. Marcus is 6'7" 215 lbs, while Markieff is 6'8" 225 lbs. Both plan to attend the same college, however which school that is up in the air. Markieff favors UK, while Marcus favors John Calipari's Memphis squad. Both are visiting Madness weekend, so the hope is that Marcus is awed by the experience and agrees with his twin that UK is the place for them.
Those 8 are the offers that are extended that seem to be UK's most likely targets. Prep recruiting changes daily, and Coach Smith has other players in mind in case some choose other schools (which undoubtedly will happen). The two most talked about players are both in state prospects. They are Stefphon Pettigrew from Elizabethtown High School, and Jeff Brooks from Doss High in Louisville. Pettigrew burst onto the scene this summer at the Las Vegas AAU tournament where he scored 72 pts. in 2 games. Brooks just recently visited UK, and wants to play his college ball in the state of Kentucky it appears. Look for at least one of these players to be a Cat, if not both.
UK Football Heading In the Right DirectionCount me as one of the people that doesn't like Ohio St., Florida St., Penn State or even Louisville Football. Often times I talk to UK Hoop fans and ask them about Rich Brooks' squad, only to get "I like (insert team) football and UK basketball.” I am not one of those people. I am a UK fan, even though I admit there has been little too cheer about over the past 7 seasons. First Claude Bassett brought sanctions against the program, losing scholarships and leaving UK with a postseason ban. Guy Morriss saw that he would lack the upperclassmen needed to be competitive and left for Baylor. Enter Rich Brooks a little over 3 years ago. Brooks entered the picture at the lowest of lows. Brooks has taken a lot of grief, especially after this season’s loss to Louisville. The fact of the matter is that Brooks is turning things around for the Cats. UK just last year got all the scholarships back, and Brooks hauled in a Top 25 recruiting class with those scholarships. Included in that class was centerpiece recruit, 5 star DT Micah Johnson from Ft. Campbell. Johnson already has started against Texas St., and will be a major player for the Cats with experience. Brooks and staff are getting football players with talent, and with depth that will come after another full recruiting class, UK football will return to making Bowl Games with consistency.
Major Kudos goes to the UK Football team after the Florida game. Visiting the #5 ranked Gators at "The Swamp", the Cats held the lead toward the end of the second quarter. The football Cats were hurt by two questionable calls that helped seal their fate, eventually losing 26-7. The game was actually closer than the final score indicated. The Wildcats didn't go to Gainesville looking for a moral victory, however after a history of losing to Florida the past 19 seasons, many by 40+ pts, the fact of the matter is that the Cats showed just how much they have improved against Florida.
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