The question on everyone’s mind for the last few weeks has been, “will Coach Calipari be able to reload?” Today, we’ll get the official answer to that question. At 4PM on ESPNU, Brandon Knight will officially announce where he will be going to school. Then the dominoes should start to fall.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Here’s what the Miami Herald had to say after speaking to Anthony Wireman (our number one guy when it comes to UK Basketball)…. [QUOTE]Few have a better read on how Wildcats fans are reacting to the possibility of seeing Knight in a Kentucky uniform next season than Anthony Wireman, who owns and operates [URL=”http://allkyhoops.com/”]Allkyhoops.com [/URL].
Wireman said his website averages between 15,000- 20,000 hits a day but has spiked with the rumors coach John Calipari will land Knight, the No. 1 prospect in the 2010 class by [URL=”http://rivals.com/”]Rivals.com[/URL].
“You know, Kentucky fans have presumed for months now that Wall would likely enter the NBA Draft and Knight would be his replacement as Calipari’s next great point guard,” Wireman said. “Almost immediately after UK announced that Wall and the other UK freshmen planned to enter the Draft, the fans began talking about Knight to Kentucky.”
Should Knight sign with Kentucky as speculated, he will be in position to enjoy the same success past point guards Derrick Rose, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA draft and subsequent NBA rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans, (No. 4 pick in 2009) and Wall, the possible top pick in the 2010 NBA draft have enjoyed in Calipari’s dribble-drive offense.
Calipari has already secured commitments from Jacksonville Providence 6-5 swingman Stacey Poole (Rivals No. 27) and Enes Kanter. Adding Knight to that mix might be enough to convince 6-8 forward Terrence Jones (No. 13) and C.J. Leslie (No. 14) to follow suit.
“There is a tremendous level of excitement and anticipation within the UK fan base about Brandon Knight wearing “Kentucky” across his chest,” added Wireman. “There is a great deal of interest in other pieces of the UK recruiting puzzle, but Knight has really been the focal point for months now.”
[LEFT][COLOR=#000000]Read more: [URL]http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/13/1578180/kentucky-fans-anticipate-pine.html#ixzz0l310hOk7[/URL][/COLOR][/LEFT]
[/QUOTE]We’ve already spoken to what we consider to be “solid sources” that Knight will be Wildcat next season. So what does all of this mean? It means we would have the Keystone to another great recruiting off-season.
[B][U]Other UK Recruits[/U][/B]
[B]Michael Gilchrist[/B] – A 2011 recruit, but getting a commitment early is never a bad thing. If Gilchrist goes to UK and Knight goes to UK, it will be three straight years of landing the #1 player in the country.
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[B]C.J. Leslie[/B] – Two years ago he was playing with John Wall and Leslie has spent a good amount of time around the CATS this season. It’s also been reported that he would like to play alongside Brandon Knight. Leslie is ranked 14 by Rivals.
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[B]Doron Lamb [/B]-If Darnell Dodson was to leave, Doron Lamb might be the guy to replace him. This shooting guard is ranked 21st by Rivals. What better way to improve your NBA stock, than to play in front of NBA scouts the entire year (just like this year).
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[B]Josh Selby[/B] – This point guard (same position as Knight) is ranked 4th in the country. Knight still needs his next years version of “Eric Bledsoe”, and this might be the guy to do it. Calipari has already shown he can play with two point guards and send them both to the NBA at the end of the season.
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[B]Terrence Jones [/B]- The 13th best player in the country (as ranked by Rivals), plays power forward and would be a great replacement for Patrick Patterson. He’s a true threat on the inside and outside. He also has great vision for passing the ball after he receives it on the post. I”m hoping these guys see t to I really think that these guys will gravitate towards Brandon Knight and take advantage of the exposure that comes with being a team full of freshman phenoms.
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[B]Experience / Leadership[/B]
OK, here’s where it get’s ugly…
[LIST]
[*]Darnell Dodson | 6 ft 7 in | Guard
[*]Darius Miller | 6 ft 7 in | Guard
[*]Jon Hood | 6 ft 6 in | Guard
[*]Brandon Knight | 6 ft 3 in | Point Guard
[*]Enes Kanter | 6 ft 10 in | Forward/Center
[*]Josh Harrellson | 6 ft 10 in | Forward
[*]C. J. Leslie | 6 ft 8 in | Power Forward
[*]Stacey Poole | 6 ft 5 in | Guard/Forward
[*]DeAndre Liggins | 6 ft 6 in | Guard
[/LIST]
Looks like your returning veteran leader is going to be Darius Miller. He is more than capable of taking on the role. The question is, can he be consistent enough to lead by example. Darius did an outstanding job down the stretch, but had some trouble midway through the season and I’m not sure how next years team would react to that. This year, everyone knew this was Patterson’s team. So ask yourself, would this be considered “Darius’s team?” We do have [B]DeAndre “I got hustle” Liggins[/B], but it’s obvious the experience and veteran leadership in the locker room may not be there. He seems like a great person but I’m not sure how he’s regarded by his team (as a leader) of the floor. Looking at last years team, I would have to imagine that Ramone Harris and Perry Stevenson played pivotal roles in the locker room and that is something that will be sorely missed. So what’s the glue that’s going to hold this potential team together? It’s simple… It’s the “K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y” that goes across their chest! John Hood and Darius Miller will need to teach everyone what it truly means to play basketball for Kentucky. They’ll need to live the passion that is UK basketball in every minute of every practice and game.
At the end of the day we’ll know more, but it looks like UK has a great chance to repeat the recruiting success of last season and hopefully this time, they can make it a little deeper in the tournament.
