Chicago’s Next Great Wing Drawing Interest from Kentucky

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Chicago has always been known for its great basketball talent, but right now, the city is on top of the basketball world.

It plays host to one of the best players in the NBA in Derrick Rose with the Bulls; Kentucky’s Anthony Davis grew up in the city; and arguably the best high school player, Jabari Parker, is from Chicago.

But is doesn’t stop there. The high school talent is extremely rich within the city, and one player that is starting to quickly rise is [B]Paul White[/B].

White, a 6-foot-8 forward from Whitney Young High School, has seen his recruitment really pick up over the past month or so. Within that time period, Michigan State and Kentucky have shown interest in his services. In fact, White is very intrigued by what UK has to offer.

“Kentucky is a phenomenal school,” the sophomore began. “There is a great coaching staff in place, and it is a players-first program. Coach [John] Calipari has a good history with Chicago kids and making them successful, so it’s hard not to like.”

White is also hearing from Ohio State, Arizona, Wisconsin, Baylor, DePaul, Illinois, Iowa, Florida State, Louisville, and Georgetown, among others.

He does have two schools that have been showing the most interest as of late though.

“I’ve been in contact a lot with Ohio State and Arizona lately. They both have been on me for a long time.

While Kentucky has shown interest in White, they have not contacted him personally yet. Instead, they have contacted his mother.

“My mom and the coaches just talk about how Kentucky works and all that. The coaches know I am a talented player, so they were just giving her so tips on how to handle the process and the fame.”

Whitney Young was lead by White and fellow Kentucky target Jahlil Okafor this season. They had a very productive season, but they fell short in the state tournament against Simeon and Jabari Parker. Now, White is focused on a productive AAU season.

“The main thing I want to work on is getting stronger. That will help me get a lot better. Other than that, I want to handles and become more of a triple-threat on offense. I’m looking to improve everything.”

For those that are not aware of White’s talent and playing style, many compare him to Baylor’s Quincy Miller, who reportedly will enter the NBA Draft and sign an agent. White embraces the comparison, but he knows he has a lot of work to do.

“People have considered me a player like Quincy Miller for awhile. I like it because he is a great player, but I have to keep working. Others say I remind them of Kyle Anderson,” he added.

Kentucky pursued both Miller and Anderson before they opted to choose other schools. With that being said, White has a good chance to thrive in the Kentucky offense.

“I feel like I would fit perfectly. I like to get up and down the floor,” he explained. “I can play in the half-court, too. Kentucky has a nice balance of the two. I think my versatility would go well in the offense.”

Keep an eye out for Paul White on the AAU circuit this summer. I hope to see him a few times, along with his friend Jahlil Okafor.

Follow Garrett Tucker on Twitter [URL="https://twitter.com/#%21/GTuckerF150"]@GTuckerF150[/URL] for more info on Kentucky recruiting