(Brandon Knight recruitment heats up)
-In one of today’s biggest headlines, Rivals.com has announced that #1 rated recruit Brandon Knight will be attending Kansas’ Midnight Madness on October 16, 2009. That just happens to be the exact same date as UK’s Big Blue Madness. That may shock some of the Cats fans out there, as many of us thought UK to be firmly in the lead for the services of the nation’s best player. With this announcement, many now will wonder what this exactly means for Wildcats basketball.
One thing is for certain. Kansas has Bill Self. He has risen to the ranks in college basketball as one of the top 5 coaches in the country. He is an outstanding recruiter and knows what it takes to get the big names. He’s done it numerous times over and can get it done with Brandon Knight. Another factor that favors Kansas is that current point guard Sharron Collins, in my estimation, is going to head to the NBA next year. He’s been a superb guard while playing in the back-up role two years ago during their championship season and this past season, when he was the featured man for the position. If Collins does in fact leave, Knight could come in right away and be the guy.
At UK, it doesn’t quite work out that way as Eric Bledsoe, very talented in his own right, will likely return to the Cats lineup as a sophomore. This idea has a flipside. If the ’09-’10 seasons serve any justification, it will show Knight that yes, indeed, Calipari can use two point guards in a lineup at one time. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are expected to play a lot of minutes together and if successful may help reel in Knight. I said yesterday that with in-home visits looming for Coach Cal and his staff, UK could wind up with their first 2010 recruit. I and UK fans alike will now have to wait until at least the middle of October for a decision to be made.
-A great tidbit from ESPN’s Andy Katz discusses a recent poll that was made in regards to the most promising Player of the Year (POY) candidate. Fans from across the nation, 28,000 to be exact, went out and voted and the most votes went to, drum-roll please!
Our own Patrick Patterson! 2009 #1 ranked prospect and new UK point guard John Wall came in a close second-place.
Now, how many of your think this is just a coincidence?
I certainly don’t.
That’s what UK fans are like. No matter the circumstances, UK fans will go out in droves and vote, vote, vote I tell ya! But from a fan’s perspective it’s fun to see where certain players end up in poles like these and the nation has heard the countless clicks from the desktop mice in Cats fans homes. Patterson certainly has the skills and dedication to be listed among the top players in the nation. I’m not certain that Player of the Year will be in reach for Patrick simply because Kentucky has a ton of talent on the team this year. In most estimations Patterson’s numbers are likely to take a hit as freshman DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton share playing time with the junior big man. Regardless, Patterson will continually put up solid numbers and will be in it until the end in terms of player of the year awards.
-Katz also mentions the fact that voters held responsible for the submission of players and coaches into the Basketball Hall of Fame, aren’t too fond of Calipari and Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino. Pitino is clearly having trouble keeping his pants on and Calipari has now had his second final four taken away from him. These are all glaring problems in the minds of NBA delegates. News and information is always being churned out and Calipari and Pitino sit at the forefront of all news in college basketball. They should both act accordingly for the rest of their days or their careers as head coaches will crumble right in front of their feet.
-Larry Vaught presents an interesting article on John Calipari’s high school coach and the belief he has in his former pupil. During a time when Calipari is facing the ultimate gut check, Vaught sheds light on Calipari’s old coach and his feelings on the treatment of the new UK head basketball coach. While there are plenty of critics out there calling for Calipari’s head, the article and former coach bring up a good point: Calipari has never been accused of any wrong doing during his most difficult times. During the UMass, Marcus Camby scandal, Calipari was never accused. In the most recent case, involving former Memphis point guard Derrick Rose and Calipari, Calipari once again, was never accused of wrongdoing. For now, that’s the fact of the matter.
-Our favorite former head coach Billy Gillispie is in the news again, this coming from a newspaper in San Antonio. It catches up with the Texas gunslinger to find out what he has been up to since his days in Lexington. To make it simple: nothing.
Should we be surprised?
Nope. He’s up to his old ways, being chummy with everyone he talks to making a point not to throw his former employer under the bus. That’s a good idea, as his stay in Kentucky didn’t turn out too well and his legal battle with the university is still ongoing. Not likely to get a coaching gig anytime soon, I’m sure the rest of the nation will hear his name dropped here and there. No big deal.
Well that’s it for today, take care Wildcat fans. I’ll have more news and updates for you throughout the week.
GO CATS!
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