Here are the newest highlights of Jayson Tatum putting on a show.

The post Video: 9th Grader Jayson Tatum Shines In Spring Circuit! appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Let’s take a look at some of the high profile recruits that will join the Stoops and company for the 2014 season.

** Drew Barker 4* QB. 8th ranked quarterback in the nation.

** Mike Horton 4* RB. 13th ranked running back in the nation.

** Thaddeus Snodgrass 4* WR. 29th ranked wide receiver in the nation.

Here is video of Kentucky’s three highest ranked recruits.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Follow me on twitter @chadpugh22

The post Kentucky Football Recruiting appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Mikel Horton jumped from #209 to #131 in updated Rivals 2014 rankings.

Mark Stoops recruiting has been magical since he has taken over the head coaching position at Kentucky and the updated Rivals.com Top 250 reflects that it isn’t an illusion.

Quarterback Drew Barker (#117), running back Mikel Horton (#131) and wide receiver Thaddeus Snodgrass (#205) are the highest ranking players in a class that could be the foundation for a great future of Kentucky Football.

Barker is ranked as the #8 quarterback, Mikel Horton is the #13 back and Thaddeus Snodgrass the #29 wide receiver in the class of 2014 by Rivals.

Here is a look at the entire class as of today:

Check out the entire 2014 Rivals.com Football Recruiting rankings by clicking here.

The post Three Kentucky Football 2014 Recruits in Rivals Top 250 appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Slam Magazine released their High School All American team today and Kentucky has 3 of the 6 honorees.

Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison were all honored as the best players in the class of 2013.

Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, Duke’s Jabari Parker and Arizona’s Aaron Gordon were also on the team.

You can check out all the photos and article by clicking here.

The post Kentucky has Half of Slam All American Team appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Perry Ayers of Team Manimal.

There were so many players that improved their stock at the State AAU that there are too many to name, but several players really stood out to me.

Perry Ayers, Team Manimal: One of the most outstanding 2016 talents of the weekend was Ayers, who put on a display of athleticism on both ends of the floor for the upstart Manimals. He is at his best when attacking the basket on the offensive end, and his court vision leads to involvement of his teammates with his ability to dish the basketball. He is even more impressive on the defensive side of the ball with his quick feet and hands, especially in a full court press. The Bowling Green native needs to work on his outside shot, but his motor seems never ending, which makes it hard to keep him off the court.

Carson Williams, Hoop Dreams: The big man from Owen County was the best big man in the 9th grade tournament. He threw down several big time dunks while showing how well he runs the floor. Williams also showed very nice touch with the mid-range jumper and is very tough to handle on the post. It will be interesting to see if the 6’5″ forward can create more of an outside game, especially since he would probably be a 3 in college. Carson is definitely a kid to keep an eye on as he grows as a player.

Mason Faulkner, Team Manimal: Faulkner is the makings of a complete point guard with his size, handles and stroke. Faulkner wants to have the basketball when the game is on the line and isn’t afraid to take a game over if needed. He does a great job of distributing the basketball and seems to excel in transition in an up tempo type setting. Mason seemed to flourish in the Manimal style of play, but I wonder how he would react in a slow down pace and how it would affect his decision making on the court. As the Caverna HS product continues to improve it will be exciting to see just how good this kid could be.

Evan Hall, The Ville: The Knott County sophomore was a big cog in The Ville’s lineup over the weekend and it felt like he grabbed every rebound that fell off the rim. Hall does a great job of using his body, blocking out, and making sure he is in great position in the paint. He also looked great in the high post, hitting jumpers when given them and not forcing bad shot attempts. He stayed mostly in the paint and it would have been nice to see him have more attempts from outside 10 feet, but Hall will be an excellent 2nd option for Knott County after Camron Justice next high school year.

Michael Stafford, The Ville: The Trinity sophomore, who didn’t get to see a whole lot of minutes for the veteran led Shamrocks last season, will definitely play a major factor next season. Stafford has a knack of finding lanes to basket and finishes more often than not. He also did a great job of getting to the free throw line. What stuck out to me the most about Stafford was his ability to get to the rim and his bulldog attitude. One play I remember was him getting blocked, but that didn’t stop him from going right back into the paint on the next trip and scoring on a nice driving layup. Trinity seems like they could be reloading again.

Chris Hudson, Hoop Dreams: The junior from Hazard showed he can score inside or out and will be a tough mismatch for almost any team. The 6’7″ forward has a nice outside shot, hitting several from beyond the arc, and is also a horse in the paint. His defense is lacking and I question his motor, but the talent is definitely there. This will be a big year for Hudson to really push himself to be one of the elite players in the state, or he could possibly get lost in the shuffle. One thing is for sure, Chris Hudson has a big body and talent to boot.

Chris Cunningham, Louisville Magic: The Henry Clay junior looked really good as the Magic rolled to the AAU state title. With so many talented players on one squad, it was sort of hard to pick out just one player. Having watched Cunningham in high school, he seemed a lot more comfortable playing AAU than he did in the winter. The 6 foot point guard was a floor leader and it seemed like he was always in the middle of something positive. He also displayed a nice shot when left open, doing a very good job of keeping the defense honest, especially with so many other offensive weapons on the floor. I could see Cunningham running a mid-major team in college as his basketball iq usually puts him in the right place to make positive plays. A trustworthy guard that makes positive team plays for his teammates can play on my team any day.

Other players to keep an eye on

D’Angelo Hunter, Louisville Magic, 2014, PRP
Brent Bach, Hoop Dreams, 2014, Augusta
Malik Dow, Hoop Dreams, 2016, Ballard
Tyler Sharp, Manimal, 2016, Bullitt East

A couple of thoughts about the Kentucky State AAU:

Need to do something about officiating. Seemed like a ton of calls determined the outcome of games. No surprise there, huh?

Also, someone needs to get together with all the coaches and put together a program with all the rosters. I am sure everyone would love to know who they are watching, that way the media can give these kids publicity. A lot of times an event like this could help a kid get some college looks.

If you haven’t ever been to the State AAU and you need a gym fix, this is definitely an event you need to check out.

The post Players that Improved Their Stock at Kentucky State AAU appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Here is a recap of the 9th, 10th and 11th grade tournaments.

Let’s begin with who wasn’t at at the KBA this weekend and that is the Kentucky Travelers. The Travelers are the Kentucky representative in the Nike EYBL and didn’t play. I spoke to Jonathan Davis on Friday, father of the Travelers’ Jackson Davis, and he said if they win 2 games in Minnesota this upcoming weekend they will qualify for the Peach Jam. Good luck to them!

There were also some significant injuries that kept two of the top players in the state from showing their skills. The 11th grade Louisville Magic’s Jordan Green and 9th grade Hoop Dreams’ Quentin Goodin were both sidelined due to injury. Green, who plays for Henry Clay, is out 4-6 weeks due to a groin injury. Taylor County’s Quentin Goodin, who many say is one of the top 3 players in the state, had a back injury from lifting weights and was told to rest over the weekend.

The biggest story of the weekend, in my opinion, was the 9th grade entry Team Manimal. Of course, this team was sponsored by Morehead State alum and current Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried. Just walking around the KBA you could hear parents, coaches and players talking about the Manimals. They did not disappoint being a first year team, finishing 2nd, but the game of games was the semi-final double overtime win over the tournament favorite Hoop Dreams. There were two buzzer beaters, including this one by Bullitt East’s Tyler Sharp:

Manimal went on to pull off the upset with a 102-99 win.

That draining performance, which included 8 players fouling out, was too much for head coach Maze Stallworth’s Team Manimal in the finals as the Kentucky Heat won the 9th grade state tournament 74-61.

Here are the Manimals with team sponsor Kenneth Faried:

The 10th grade tournament, which really went under the radar, was won by The Next Level Retros defeating The Ville 62-52. The Retros were led by Ballard’s Corey Douglas and Doss’ Dujuanta Weaver in the championship game. Knott County’s Evan Hall, who played for The Ville, had a great weekend as he dominated the paint and the glass.

Here are the Next Level Retros:

The 11th grade state tournament was dominated by the Louisville Magic, which was loaded with the best players in the state that aren’t playing with the Kentucky Travelers.

Louisville commit Quentin Snider was just a piece to the puzzle that included Henry Clay’s Chris Cunningham and Trey Grundy, PRP’s LaMontray Harris and D’Angelo Hunter, Ballard’s Kelan Martin, Trinity’s Craig Owens and Marshall County’s Austin Rentfro.

Coach Ellis Myles’ club won by an average of 34.5 points per game, which concluded with a 79-44 win over the Shining Stars in the Finals.

One game I would love to see, that we probably won’t get to see, is the Magic vs. the Kentucky Travelers.

Here are the 11th grade champions:

Check back later for an article on standout players, bad officiating and ways to improve the Kentucky State AAU.

The post Kentucky State AAU Recap appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Future Cat Aaron Harrison is named Mr. Basketball in The State of Texas by Texas Assoc of Basketball Coaches. Congratulations!

@aaronice2 Aaron Harrison Mr B-ballThe State of TXJoins good company Shaquille O’Neal 1989 Chris Bosh 2002 @travishoops @fbisdathletics

— Travis High School (@ths_tigers) May 17, 2013

The post Aaron Harrison, Mr. Basketball State of Texas appeared first on Nation of Blue.

That didn’t take long.

I have decided to further my education and make a significant impact at the next level by joining the University of Illinois State next year

— MiKyle McIntosh (@MervM_22) May 16, 2013

Unless Cal adds a walk on, it looks like the Kentucky Basketball roster is set.

The post MiKyle McIntosh Signs with Illinois State appeared first on Nation of Blue.

There was a report this morning that Kentucky may be looking to add another player to the 2013 class.

Kentucky is reviewing transcripts for unsigned 2013 wing @mervm_22 , sources tell @snytv. Canadian wing didn’t sign NLI anywhere by Wed

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 16, 2013

I watched McIntosh 3 or 4 times this season and he is an athletic wing that shoots the ball pretty well, but really excels when he is attacking the basket.

He was MVP of the Ohio/Kentucky All Star game and the rumor was he was going to sign with Illinois State.

Well, all of this may be for naught as McIntosh has tweeted this out.

Contrary to reports, I have not been in contact with kentucky or have they reviewed my transcripts. The info given has been false.

— MiKyle McIntosh (@MervM_22) May 16, 2013

There still may be something to this, but it looks like there is nothing to see here for now.

The post Could There Be a New Addition to the 2013 Class? appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Ohio linebacker Chris Frey announced his college decision today and will play in the Big 10 at Michigan State.

I’m officially a Michigan State Spartan! #spartannation

— Chris Frey Jr (@Cfrey07) May 15, 2013

He also took the time to thank the Big Blue Nation and the 2014 recruiting class.

Just wanted to give a S/O to #BBN for all the support! Good luck to my boys @bigmeatdh14 @mikelhorton1 @d_barker7 @darryl_long!

— Chris Frey Jr (@Cfrey07) May 15, 2013

The post Chris Frey Picks Michigan State and Thanks BBN appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The post Video: 2013 Kentucky Wildcats Recruiting Class appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Made my decision and I will be committing tomorrow!

— Chris Frey Jr (@Cfrey07) May 15, 2013

If Frey commits to Kentucky it will be their 8th commitment for the 2014 class.

Here are highlights from Frey’s junior season.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Follow me on twitter @chadpugh22

The post Chris Frey to Make College Decision Tomorrow appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Photo: 24/7 Sports

With the addition of Drew Barker and Kobie Walker this week Kentucky has moved up in the 2014 recruiting rankings.

Rivals.com has Kentucky ranked 16th today.  

24/7 Sports has Kentucky ranked 21st.  

Kentucky now ranks in the top ten in the SEC, with a #7 ranking according to Rivals.com and a #9 ranking according to 24/7 Sports.  

The Wildcats now have three 4* and four 3* recruits in the 2014 class.

I can’t remember Kentucky having a recruiting class ranked this high this early.  

Let’s hope Mark Stoops and company can continue the momentum.

Follow me on twitter @chadpugh22

The post Kentucky Football Moving up In Recruiting Rankings appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The UK 2014 Football Recruiting Class, led by Drew Barker, has created a twitter account to help attract other top recruits.

This is the OFFICIAL page of the 2014 UK recruiting class!!! Ran by the commits! Everyone follow! #BBN #WhosNext

— UK 2014 Fball Class (@UK2014Class) May 14, 2013

Make sure you give it a follow as they started the account around 40 minutes ago and already have close to 2000 followers.

The post Follow the UK 2014 Football Recruiting Class Twitter Account appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Don’t have twitter?

I will be posting every update that the Herald-Dispatch’s Grant Traylor and WSAZ’s Keith Morehouse tweets out about the Andrew Wiggins announcement right here.

Refresh for updates to article.

Wiggins is in Fulford’s office now…has talked to his parents in private. Now just waiting for entrance to the gym. Bout 15 minutes out.

— Grant Traylor (@GrantTraylor) May 14, 2013

The crowd gathers at St Joe..including his teammates twitter.com/KeithMorehouse…

— Keith Morehouse (@KeithMorehouse) May 14, 2013

Wiggins and mother Marita walking into the gym. twitter.com/GrantTraylor/s…

— Grant Traylor (@GrantTraylor) May 14, 2013

The post Grant Traylor Live Tweets Andrew Wiggins Annoucement appeared first on Nation of Blue.

The #1 player in the country has made his decision and he will play his college basketball at Kansas.

Andrew Wiggins will be attending Kansas

— Grant Traylor (@GrantTraylor) May 14, 2013

Wiggins has made the decision to play at Kansas, where very few thought he would play.

Now fans of Kentucky, North Carolina and Florida State can move on and get ready for the 2013-14 season.

The post Andrew Wiggins Picks Kansas appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Keith Morehouse of WSAZ will also be at the Andrew Wiggins announcement and he posted this pic.

The Wiggins setup is complete at St. Joe twitter.com/KeithMorehouse…

— Keith Morehouse (@KeithMorehouse) May 14, 2013

The post The Table is Set for Andrew Wiggins Decision appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Where will Andrew Wiggins Choose?

The post Video: Dave Telep Answers “Where Will Andrew Wiggins Choose?” appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Evan Daniels of Fox Sports has made his prediction for Andrew Wiggins and he thinks it is Florida State.

If I had to put money on it, I’d go with Florida State for Andrew Wiggins. Think they have the best relationship with him.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielsFOX) May 14, 2013

All signs point to teams other than Kentucky at this point.

The post Evan Daniels Makes His Andrew Wiggins Prediction appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Today is finally the day everyone will find out where Andrew Wiggins will play college basketball next season.

When yesterday began, Florida State seemed to be the overwhelming favorite, but by last night Kansas had gained ground.

Kentucky feels like a longshot at this point, but it is hard to count out John Calipari on announcement day.

Whichever team Wiggins picks, please don’t tweet foolishness towards him and try to represent the BBN with class. I promise you there are reporters out there just waiting to twitter search and make an entire fanbase look terrible for a few bad apple’s remarks towards an 18 year old making a life choice.

The announcement is set around 12:15pm eastern and if you want up to minute coverage from the signing you should be following the only media member there: @GrantTraylor.

Should be interesting to see how all of this plays out and it looks like Andrew Wiggins is ready for his big day.

Today’s the day !!

— andrew wiggins (@22wiggins) May 14, 2013

The post It is Andrew Wiggins Day!! appeared first on Nation of Blue.

What sometimes gets forgotten in basketball recruiting is the players future teammates and the impact they could have on a recruitment.

Jason Jordan of USA Today spoke to an incoming freshman from each team recruiting Andrew Wiggins and had them make their pitch for him to come to their school.

Kentucky’s Dakari Johnson made Kentucky’s sell:

Dakari Johnson, Montverde (Montverde, Fla.), C, 2013

“Andrew, I think you should come to Kentucky because it will challenge you to be a better player competing against the best players every day in practice. And hey, there are no better fans in the world than the Big Blue Nation!

Read the the other incoming freshman sales pitch by clicking here:

The post Kentucky’s Dakari Johnson Makes His Pitch to Andrew Wiggins appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Photo: 24/7 Sports

Kobie Walker, a 6’4″ 198lb safety from Olney, Maryland has committed to the University of Kentucky.

Proud to announce my commitment to The University of Kentucky. #BBN #GOBLUE

— Kobie Walker (@BeyyondBelief) May 13, 2013

Walker picked the Wildcats over Miami(FL), Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and NC State.

He is ranked a 3 star by Scout, Rivals and 24/7 Sports.

J. Rowland of Rivals.com is saying Walker will play outside linebacker for Mark Stoops:

Kobie Walker is an outside linebacker for Kentucky. One of the most athletic linebacker recruits UK has picked up in the modern era.

— J.Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) May 13, 2013

Here are highlights of the newest 2014 commit:

The post Maryland Safety Commits to Kentucky Football appeared first on Nation of Blue.

If you read the article “All Four CBS Writers Make Same Andrew Wiggins Prediction,” you know that Jeff Goodman said Florida State but you need to watch out for Kansas.

Well, Goodman started making some phone calls and he has changed his pick.

I’m changing my prediction for Andrew Wiggins’ destination from FSU to Kansas. No “inside info”, just a hunch based on talking to people.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) May 13, 2013

There are a ton of stories out there, but it really doesn’t matter until Wiggins announces his pick at 12:15pm tomorrow.

The post Jeff Goodman has Changed His Andrew Wiggins Prediction appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Adam Himmelsbach of the Courier-Journal has kept in touch with Andrew Wiggins’ host mom at Huntington Prep and she disclosed one of the determining factors that has affected his college decision.

Just spoke to Andrew Wiggins’ host mom Lesley Thomas & she said he doesn’t want to attend summer school and that factors into his decision.

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) May 13, 2013

Thomas also said Wiggins wanted to attend a school that “met his credentials as far as getting to the next level.”

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) May 13, 2013

It was reported previously that Wiggins wants to play for the Canadian National team in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.

It would hard for me to believe that any of the 4 coaches would object to Wiggins playing for his country.

Oh, and if you were wondering what Andrew wanted to eat this evening, here you go:

For those obsessing over Wiggins’ food likes playing role in choice, his announcement-eve meal request is chicken, peas, potatoes, brownies.

— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) May 13, 2013

The post Summer School Could Affect Andrew Wiggins’ Decision appeared first on Nation of Blue.

Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports gives an analysis of each team recruiting Andrew Wiggins, their history in his recruitment and a prediction from each CBS writer.

Here are the predictions, with Borzello’s being first:

I think he ends up at Florida State. The Seminoles have been involved with him the longest time, and the family connection is a huge advantage for Leonard Hamilton. Wiggins isn’t a fan of overwhelming media attention, and he would be able to avoid that somewhat in Tallahassee. Moreover, he would get be the go-to-guy from day one.

Jeff Goodman: “Florida State, but don’t count out Kansas.”

Gary Parrish: Florida State. “Combine the family’s connection to the school with Leonard Hamilton’s reputation as an elite recruiter with the fact that Wiggins won’t really have to share the ball in Tallahassee.”

Matt Norlander: “FSU.”

You can read the entire article here.

The post All Four CBS Writers Make Same Andrew Wiggins Prediction appeared first on Nation of Blue.