There was an interesting [URL=”http://recruitingspotlight.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/mailbag-question-8/”]mailbag question[/URL] today on whether or not J.P. Tokoto’s commitment to North Carolina would help Kentucky’s chances of landing [URL=”http://www.wildcatrecruits.com/playerProfile.php?Contact_ID=73″]Shabazz Muhammad[/URL]. The reasons given in support are interesting, my favorite being “Calipari is the best recruiter in the country and seems to get whoever he wants”.
I do think UNC is now out of the running for Muhammad. Jason Jordan of ESPN [URL=”http://twitter.com/JayJayESPNDime/status/43710572562362368#”]just tweeted[/URL] that Muhammad will not be attending the Duke/North Carolina game as he was planning on before Tokoto’s commitment (which makes me wonder about Dukes chances as well). But there are several schools still in the hunt including Duke and UCLA. As mentioned in the mailbag article above, Duke will be fairly deep at the wing position by the time Muhammad is a freshman, and I don’t see him wanting to compete for playing time. He could choose UCLA, but I think he only picks UCLA if he wants to stay close to home. UCLA also has at least six current wingmen that will probably be upperclassmen in Muhammad’s first season, not to mention incoming 4-star SG Norman Powell.
I’m thinking he picks Kentucky. Not just because he had a [URL=”http://twitter.com/phenom15balla/status/42821047409577984#”]great visit[/URL], not just because I’m a Kentucky homer, and not just because “Calipari is the best recruiter in the country and seems to get whoever he wants”. Look at Kentucky’s team after next year. Miller, Liggins and Beckham will have graduated. Jones will probably be in the NBA by then (Jones is more post than wing anyway). Gilchrist will probably be one-and-done. There are no 2012 commitments yet, so at this point Muhammad would have to compete with Doron Lamb, Jon Hood, Stacey Poole (if he stays), and… that’s about it. Muhammad would start as a freshman at Kentucky.
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