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.

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