Who is the first Top 10 recruit that you can remember UK signing?
- Thread starter TopCatCal
- Start date
I remember Ron Mercer being a huge deal and seeing him in magazines alongside guys like Garnett that year, but I was obviously too young to really "follow" recruiting beyond what I heard my dad and brother talk about.
That was the first I can remember "following" which meant waiting until the newspaper reported he committed. It was a different time back before the internets.
For me it was Rhodes.
But my old man recalls listening to the radio everyday to see if we were going to get Bowie.
I began following the Cats during the 1961-62 season. Cotton Nash was a sophomore and Larry Pursiful was a senior. In those days, there were no high school all-star games and no AAU circuit so comparing players from around the country was difficult.
I remember that signing Larry Conley in 1962 was a huge deal. He was a first-team Parade all-american which would have been "top 10" or close to it.
I remember that signing Larry Conley in 1962 was a huge deal. He was a first-team Parade all-american which would have been "top 10" or close to it.
I was only 14 in the Fall of 1960 when Cotton Nash enrolled at U.K., but I remember hearing that it was "a big deal" when Cotton came to Kentucky in 1960 -- all the way from Lake Charles, LA. Cotton was also a Parade All-American (per Jon Scott's site), and given that Cotton became a three-time college All-American at U.K. I can't imagine that Cotton wasn't a first-team Parade A-A coming out of high school.
I went back and looked through the U.K. rosters before 1960, and it's startling how few U.K. players were not from Kentucky. Bob Burrow was from Texas and was a two-time All-American at U.K. in 1955 and 1956 ... but Burrow came to U.K. as a junior after playing at Lon Morris J.C. in Texas (also per Jon Scott's site).
There just wasn't much "national high school recruiting" before 1960.
I went back and looked through the U.K. rosters before 1960, and it's startling how few U.K. players were not from Kentucky. Bob Burrow was from Texas and was a two-time All-American at U.K. in 1955 and 1956 ... but Burrow came to U.K. as a junior after playing at Lon Morris J.C. in Texas (also per Jon Scott's site).
There just wasn't much "national high school recruiting" before 1960.
I remember when we signed Kevin Grevey. He was a great high school player and I was so happy to get him at UK.
The first big recruit I remember hearing was coming was Ron Mercer. I remember watching them a few years before that but he was the first bit of recruiting news I recall getting excited about. He had some sick moves while he was here too. Shame he never became a superstar in the NBA.
Rex Chapman was the earliest I can remember following recruiting. I remember the players under coach Hall like Bowie but I only remember them as wildcats. I didn't follow recruiting back then enough to have even heard their names before they were on campus. Chapman was the first recruiting story I followed.
The Kevin Grevey class got a story in the paper because of the novelty of 4 Mr. Basketball recipients. Freshmen weren't eligible then so they immediately disappeared for a year. After freshmen were eligible it became more of an issue to note who signed in the spring.
The first national big name recruit in my life was Lew Alcindoor although I imagine Wilt Chamberlain was also a big deal. Well, relative big deal. Basketball was a minor sport for a long time, about half a step up from sports like track or swimming. I guess Sam Bowie and Derrick Hord were the first big UK names in the new era of recruiting interest.
The first national big name recruit in my life was Lew Alcindoor although I imagine Wilt Chamberlain was also a big deal. Well, relative big deal. Basketball was a minor sport for a long time, about half a step up from sports like track or swimming. I guess Sam Bowie and Derrick Hord were the first big UK names in the new era of recruiting interest.
We didn't sign Macy out of High School, he transferred here from Purdue after his freshman year.
First I vividly remember? Not sure if any of them were top-10 but probably the Randolph Morris/Joe Crawford/Rondo bunch. That was 2003, my senior year of high school, and close to when I started following recruiting much closer.
I remember Hayes, Prince, Bogans, Mercer, Mash, etc. playing very well but not their recruitments.
I know, I'm a baby compared to most.
I remember Hayes, Prince, Bogans, Mercer, Mash, etc. playing very well but not their recruitments.
I know, I'm a baby compared to most.
I don't think Mashburn was a Top 10 player. Someone correct me if I am wrong. The one I first truly remember is Rex.
Rex.
I probably only "followed" it because I'd heard a couple reports that it wasn't 100% certain that he'd go to UK.
I remember thinking: "What!?! How could he not!?!"
I think that was the first press conference commitment (might've been a replay) that I ever watched.
also via Jeffersonville Ind I think.It's been a while and I could be wrong.............
![[roll]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/roll.r191677.gif "roll [roll]")
Well aware that Macy was a transfer, but still a lot of interest on where he was going to end up. Topic was top 10 recruit, not necessarily out of high school. At least that is how I read the topic.
To the extent that I was aware of a recruits ranking, Sam Bowie would the first I knew about. Back in the days of Issel and later Macy, Robey and those guys, they were probably ranked relatively high but I just had no idea they even ranked recruits back then. To us, it was all about how much a player improved from year to year. There was no ESPN to hype the recruiting circus the way it is today. Unfortunately, I'm so old, I remember when freshmen couldn't even play.
I guess that may account for why I just don't take the recruiting very seriously. You have to have enough athleticism. In the end, though, its all about how well you play solid team basketball, exploit your strengths and punish the opposing team for their weaknesses.
I guess that may account for why I just don't take the recruiting very seriously. You have to have enough athleticism. In the end, though, its all about how well you play solid team basketball, exploit your strengths and punish the opposing team for their weaknesses.
