The state of Tennessee isn’t necessarily known for the basketball or basketball players it produces, yet night in and night out fans from across the state fill the gym of Christ Presbyterian Academy. Not only is it because this is one of the best teams in the state, but the school also plays host to one of the top players in the country.
[B]Jalen Lindsey[/B], currently a sophomore, has been a big reason why CPA has had much success this season. With fans and coaches alike, the stud has continuously carried his squad. As expected, colleges have taken notice.
“I’m hearing from North Carolina, Memphis, Tennessee, NC State, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Marquette, Florida, Ohio State, Xavier, Georgetown, and Louisville, among others,” Lindsey explained.
Tennessee, Memphis, Alabama, NC State, and Vanderbilt have all extended offers to Lindsey at this point, but more will follow soon; in fact, according to a source, Kentucky and Louisville have been expressing “serious interest” in the forward for several weeks now.
However, while the Kentucky schools sit back and relax, others have been making impressions on the young Lindsey.
“I would say Alabama, Tennessee, Memphis, and Vanderbilt are recruiting me the hardest. They have been interested in me the longest, and they stay in touch the most,” he explained. “But I’m open to anyone.”
That anyone includes Kentucky, a school he admires very much.
“I’m really interested in Kentucky,” Lindsey explained. “I like Coach [John] Calipari and what he does with his players. I always want to play with good players. And then the fan support and environment is great.”
Lindsey’s offense at CPA has encouraged him to be even more interested in what UK does, especially with the success his school has had at the high school level.
“At CPA, we play a run-and-gun type offense. We go with the ball and transition, just like Kentucky does. That’s how we beat people, and so does Kentucky. We also do dribble-drive stuff, so I’m used to it.”
As some people compare him to Kevin Durant, Lindsey knows he has to work to makes sure he doesn’t disappoint anyone. With that being said, the sophomore knows exactly what he has t work on to get better.
“I need to work on my ball-handling, along with all the other things. But that is the main one. My strengths are my footwork and athleticism. My athleticism is why people compare me to Kevin Durant,” Lindsey proudly commented.
While coaches have came out to CPA to watch Lindsey and his teammates showcase their talents, the star hasn’t really had time to take many visits. However, with time, that will change.
“We haven’t really talked about in seriously, but my dad says he plans for us to go on some visits soon. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kentucky.”
Kentucky has not contacted Lindsey directly yet (besides letters in the mail), but he says his coaches are in contact with the staff constantly. The interest is hard to gauge at this point, but it is obvious that the star sophomore has room to think about the Cats.
With time, Kentucky will join the great long list of schools pursuing Christ Presbyterian Academy’s Jalen Lindsey. There may not be the best basketball players from Tennessee in general, but this kid is one to keep an eye on.
Follow Garrett Tucker on Twitter [URL=”https://twitter.com/#%21/GTuckersports”]@GTuckersports[/URL] for more info on Kentucky recruiting
