In this part, I look at the 2020 players that Kentucky is recruiting but hasn't offered as well as the 2021 targets that are making news.
Non offers - We wrote earlier in the week that Mady Sissoko and is off the list. Makur Maker has Kentucky and Oregon high on his list but the favorite is probably whichever team overseas gets him. Dawson Garcia is still hearing from the Wildcats, although we aren’t sure to what extent. It also doesn’t look like he has started focusing on his recruitment at all yet, and he could still be around in the spring. Corey Evans reported that Karim Mane is still talking to the staff as well. Maryland is probably the favorite for the Canadian point guard. Meanwhile John Calipari and company may be waiting to get better vibes on Green and Christopher before the go all the way and offer Mane. J.T. Thor has reclassified to the 2020 Class and transferred from Huntington Prep to Norcross High School in Georgia. Thor recently visited UGA. We haven’t heard much about Kentucky’s interest with him since the move, but he is certainly one we will be monitoring. J.J. Traynor out of Bardstown is another name that is being brought up a lot in the past few days. He looks like a player that could blow up and will be another that we will be watching through the upcoming months. Could he be the next Dontaie Allen?
2021
Terrence Clarke - The second ranked player in this Class may have gotten more Kentucky chatter this week than any other player. He has picked up numerous projections for the Cats in the past few days regardless of the media outlet. Our own Corey Evans picked the Big Blue yesterday.
Edits Recruiting put out a Tweet saying that they believe Kentucky, Auburn, Duke, and Memphis are the four top schools, but many behind the scenes are telling me that the rest of this group are running for second place behind UK at the present.
These projections have also led to much speculation that Clarke will reclassify to 2020. We believe that is a real possibility. The big hurdle may be getting qualified academically to NCAA requirements. If this doesn’t happen, we are being told that an R.J. Hampton-like move could happen in which he moves up and plays internationally on the professional level. If things go well, there is a very good chance he will be wearing blue.
Having said that, Travis Graf has been all over this one and he believes the chances are getting better for Clarke to qualify than what was thought in the past.
Paolo Banchero - Jason Jordan of USA Today just reported that Banchero is staying in the 2021 Class and has set up five official visits: North Carolina September 27, Kentucky October 11. Duke October 17, Tennessee October 25, and Gonzaga January 25.
Jonathan Kuminga - The top ranked player in the 2021 Class announced he is transferring to The Patrick School in New Jersey for his junior season. This is the same school by the way that produced former Duke standout and current Brooklyn Nets point guard, Kyrie Irving.
Non offers - We wrote earlier in the week that Mady Sissoko and is off the list. Makur Maker has Kentucky and Oregon high on his list but the favorite is probably whichever team overseas gets him. Dawson Garcia is still hearing from the Wildcats, although we aren’t sure to what extent. It also doesn’t look like he has started focusing on his recruitment at all yet, and he could still be around in the spring. Corey Evans reported that Karim Mane is still talking to the staff as well. Maryland is probably the favorite for the Canadian point guard. Meanwhile John Calipari and company may be waiting to get better vibes on Green and Christopher before the go all the way and offer Mane. J.T. Thor has reclassified to the 2020 Class and transferred from Huntington Prep to Norcross High School in Georgia. Thor recently visited UGA. We haven’t heard much about Kentucky’s interest with him since the move, but he is certainly one we will be monitoring. J.J. Traynor out of Bardstown is another name that is being brought up a lot in the past few days. He looks like a player that could blow up and will be another that we will be watching through the upcoming months. Could he be the next Dontaie Allen?
2021
Terrence Clarke - The second ranked player in this Class may have gotten more Kentucky chatter this week than any other player. He has picked up numerous projections for the Cats in the past few days regardless of the media outlet. Our own Corey Evans picked the Big Blue yesterday.
Edits Recruiting put out a Tweet saying that they believe Kentucky, Auburn, Duke, and Memphis are the four top schools, but many behind the scenes are telling me that the rest of this group are running for second place behind UK at the present.
These projections have also led to much speculation that Clarke will reclassify to 2020. We believe that is a real possibility. The big hurdle may be getting qualified academically to NCAA requirements. If this doesn’t happen, we are being told that an R.J. Hampton-like move could happen in which he moves up and plays internationally on the professional level. If things go well, there is a very good chance he will be wearing blue.
Having said that, Travis Graf has been all over this one and he believes the chances are getting better for Clarke to qualify than what was thought in the past.
Paolo Banchero - Jason Jordan of USA Today just reported that Banchero is staying in the 2021 Class and has set up five official visits: North Carolina September 27, Kentucky October 11. Duke October 17, Tennessee October 25, and Gonzaga January 25.
Jonathan Kuminga - The top ranked player in the 2021 Class announced he is transferring to The Patrick School in New Jersey for his junior season. This is the same school by the way that produced former Duke standout and current Brooklyn Nets point guard, Kyrie Irving.
