Caleb Wilson will commit in 01/24

[JPFisher]

I listened to an Aaron Torres video and he seems to think he's still Kentucky-bound, but the UNC smoke may be an attempt my his agent to get more out of UK.

I think he'd be a good player, but realistically, what does he bring besides athleticism? Is he a great passer? Great shooter? On-ball defense or rim protection? I've not been wowed by his highlights (which, what the hell do I know?), so if we miss him, I'd love for Pope to go after proven guys in the portal.

If we get him, great. If not, like has been said in this thread, get a couple of transfers.

 

[JFCats22]

Meh. Said it yesterday, I don't want any kids that are just waiting to see who bids highest. If he wants to go to UNC, a program that clearly has an under performing coach, and pass on Pope and UK.. then (and I hate to use this cliche line, but) I don't really want him anyways.

Can't have guys like that on the team.

Yeah, so....that means UK will no longer have a basketball team.

 

[chasingwildcat]

I listened to an Aaron Torres video and he seems to think he's still Kentucky-bound, but the UNC smoke may be an attempt my his agent to get more out of UK.

I think he'd be a good player, but realistically, what does he bring besides athleticism? Is he a great passer? Great shooter? On-ball defense or rim protection? I've not been wowed by his highlights (which, what the hell do I know?), so if we miss him, I'd love for Pope to go after proven guys in the portal.

You can expect a similar influence like Jonathan Isaac if he comes here. He also has some passing skills. Good rebounder and defender. Can provide the talent and athleticism we need

 

[blue cincy]

WILSON: I shook the magic 8-ball and it said Reply Hazy Try Again, shook again, cannot predict now, a 3rd time and signs point to yes. I guess he is flopping back and forth but will finally decide on KENTUCKY. lol

 

[B.B.H.]

Don’t see an issue with anything chasingwildcat is saying here. To me, there is an obvious contrast between Pope’s team-focused offense which requires creating shots for teammates versus UNC’s iso-heavy freelance style.

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

Any kid who wants to play for a school that their logo looks like a foot that stepped in a pile of shit, more power to them.

 

[CatsDomain]

He's the clear leader on Fanstake: Caleb Wilson - Fanstake From the "A Sea of Blue" article Recruits being Paid by Fans Getting paid before they ever choose a school. 😒

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Saying we don’t want 5 stars anymore and want lower talent all the time is how we become Indiana. We want 5 star players for sure, we just want the ones that fit popes system perfectly. Wilson would fit great, and is a good player who I want here for sure. But the portal makes it to where a miss here doesn’t kill you. But with that being said we should all want Wilson here.

 

[B.B.H.]

Saying we don’t want 5 stars anymore and want lower talent all the time is how we become Indiana. We want 5 star players for sure, we just want the ones that fit popes system perfectly. Wilson would fit great, and is a good player who I want here for sure. But the portal makes it to where a miss here doesn’t kill you. But with that being said we should all want Wilson here.

It isn’t that simple though. Are we Indiana this year? Reasonable minds can differ on this.

 

[Ron Mehico]

I don’t really care either way

 

[Ron Mehico]

Saying we don’t want 5 stars anymore and want lower talent all the time is how we become Indiana. We want 5 star players for sure, we just want the ones that fit popes system perfectly. Wilson would fit great, and is a good player who I want here for sure. But the portal makes it to where a miss here doesn’t kill you. But with that being said we should all want Wilson here.

We sure do suck this year without all those 5 star freshmen!

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

We sure do suck this year without all those 5 star freshmen!

Not wanting good players is the crazy part. Every team that wins a championship recently has NBA draft picks mixed with upper classmen

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

It isn’t that simple though. Are we Indiana this year? Reasonable minds can differ on this.

No where near IU, but their fans have been saying stuff like this for years now and wonder why keep slipping further and further from relevance

 

[Cats192]

Saying we don’t want 5 stars anymore and want lower talent all the time is how we become Indiana. We want 5 star players for sure, we just want the ones that fit popes system perfectly. Wilson would fit great, and is a good player who I want here for sure. But the portal makes it to where a miss here doesn’t kill you. But with that being said we should all want Wilson here.

It's not that I don't want him.

If he'll come here, I'll be glad to take. I think he COULD be a very good player for us.

But...

1. We've been burnt by a lot of 5 stars over the years. Because of that, I'm not sure the portal option is actually worse. You say a miss doesn't kill you. We may get a better big man from the portal. A lot of the best players in CBB are 3-4 star guys that sometimes started at smaller schools. Cooper Flagg is amazing. But, so are Broome (Morehead State), Sears (Ohio). Kam Jones was a 4 star. Alex Karaban a 4 star.

2. I think with the 5 star guys, you get into more of the rush to go pro. Everyone is telling them how great they are. 5 stars is a status symbol at that age. Not every 5 star is going to go pro. But I feel like we've certainly seen more of them go 1 and done than 3 and 4 stars.

3. NIL cost matters. It's a neat idea to say "We're Kentucky, we won't be outbid." I think the reality is, even with super rich donors, there's a limit. And we need to be good stewards of the money we have access to. 7 million for one guy means less to spend for others. IDK what his number is, I'm just throwing out an example. But I certainly appreciate if the staff doesn't want to be in a bidding war for a kid they don't think wants to be here.

 

[B.B.H.]

No where near IU, but their fans have been saying stuff like this for years now and wonder why keep slipping further and further from relevance

We are more relevant today than we were in the last five years with a litany of NBA players. The biggest difference between us and Indiana are expectations. When we get to the point that we accept mediocrity on the court, THEN we can talk about Indiana

 

[KAB Cats]

There is a risk in relying on the portal that should be acknowledged too though. There is no guarantee that you get the player you need in the portal, and the the most in-demand portal guys are also some the most expensive.

Balance is key.

 

[B.B.H.]

There is a risk in relying on the portal that should be acknowledged too though. There is no guarantee that you get the player you need in the portal, and the the most in-demand portal guys are also some the most expensive.

Balance is key.

There’s volatility with either, so I agree. Balance is key. You don’t want to overpay for a freshman who figures to be a role player if you believe you can get a better piece per value in the portal. I trust Pope with these decisions.

 

[Cats192]

There is a risk in relying on the portal that should be acknowledged too though. There is no guarantee that you get the player you need in the portal, and the the most in-demand portal guys are also some the most expensive.

Balance is key.

There's risk you won't get a recruit.

There's risk the recruit won't be as good as you thought/hoped if you get them.

I think those risks exist regardless of where/how you get the player.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Not wanting good players is the crazy part. Every team that wins a championship recently has NBA draft picks mixed with upper classmen

Look I get it and agree. But we already have a great recruiting class coming in with 3 5 stars already. Let’s not act like we only have Travis Perry coming back or that we are only recruiting 2 stars. We’re in the top 2 for Wilson and we have great recruiters on staff, so obviously we’re going after and will get 5 stars (we already do for next year). But I personally will not care that much anymore. We’ve seen 35 NBA players come through in the last 10 years and we haven’t even managed a 1 seed in the tournament. We have a great team this year that was put together in 3 weeks. What I’m saying is I trust Pope and in now way will I possibly be able to give a shit if we get one more 5 stars freshman next year. Because if not we’ll probably get a really good portal player so who cares.

 

[KAB Cats]

There's risk you won't get a recruit.

There's risk the recruit won't be as good as you thought/hoped if you get them.

I think those risks exist regardless of where/how you get the player.

I don't know that I agree with that. The benefit of recruiting HS players is that there is a long recruiting cycle and high degree of confidence that the entire HS recruiting class is on the market until committed. In transfer season, teams who have gaps in the roster lose leverage and have a small window dependent on a subset of guys who enter the portal. It's true the same principle applies to freshman, but the leverage shifts in favor of the upper classmen with high major potential.

Regardless of how you get there, you want a talented team that includes veterans and guys who are okay being role players. You want guys to return to build continuity & culture. There isn't an exact formula to get there, but we should have a good class of returners, a good freshman class and will likely be selective in the portal. That's exactly what we want.

 

[Cats192]

I don't know that I agree with that. The benefit of recruiting HS players is that there is a long recruiting cycle and high degree of confidence that the entire HS recruiting class is on the market until committed. In transfer season, teams who have gaps in the roster lose leverage and have a small window dependent on a subset of guys who enter the portal. It's true the same principle applies to freshman, but the leverage shifts in favor of the upper classmen with high major potential.

Regardless of how you get there, you want a talented team that includes veterans and guys who are okay being role players. You want guys to return to build continuity & culture. There isn't an exact formula to get there, but we should have a good class of returners, a good freshman class and will likely be selective in the portal. That's exactly what we want.

It wasn't that long ago, we were confident we were getting Caleb Wilson. The guy we're discussing is an example of not being able to trust that confidence.

Andrew Wiggins was pretty much always Kentucky or FSU. Then he went to Kansas.
Zion Williamson was always Kentucky or Clemson. Then he went to Duke.
Terrence Jones actually committed to Washington, and then still ultimately wound up at Kentucky.
Julius Randle was a lock to somewhere else, I think it was Kansas, but maybe Texas? Either way, someone else woke up thinking they were getting him and he wound up at Kentucky.
I think we were pretty confident on the Cade Cunningham front until his brother got hired at OSU.

Those are just a few off the cuff examples related to Kentucky over the past decade or so. I'm sure there are countless examples across the nation.

 

[catsfanbgky]

I am not UNC fan, please do not insult me by this.

Wilson could be Ian Jackson or Dylan Harber/Ace Bailey type of freshman in UNC, be the center of the team, but will not be the no.1 guy in UK. He will play more like Castle in Uconn if he comes here. He could want the former type more.

Again, if I am wrong, I will be very happy.

You are wrong. And using Castle as a example proves you haven't got a clue. Castle was a defensive specialist, PG / 2G, shooting and scoring was not his bread and butter. He shot roughly 8.5 shots per game, and shot 26% from 3. Who exactly next year would be options over Wilson ? Have you not noticed the # of shots Jaxson Robinson jacks up per game ? Green light as well as several others. With what we have signed and what players that are expected back off this years team, Wilson would be a BIG focal point in Pope's offense. A stretch 4 is one of if not the most important spot in Pope's offense. Learn, if in fact you truly are a UK fan. There would be shots galore for him at UK.

Current UK roster shot attempts per game :
Robinson - 10.9
Oweh - 10.5
Butler 8.6
Brea 8.3 (not a starter)
Carr 7.3 (he is a stretch 4, same position Wilson would play)
Williams 6.1 (in only 20 minutes per game)

Then factor in next years roster will not be as top to bottom talented, there will be plenty of minutes and shots for 4/5 players to get. This year UK has 8 players (counting Kriisa before his injury) that plays between 18-28 minutes per game. There is NO ONE (other than Noah) at his position coming back next year, or signed for the incoming year. Noah would NOT play over Wilson.

Players projected to return for 25-26. Not one player would take minutes at his position, he would get all the minutes and shots he desires.

Oweh - 2G
Garrison - C - He is not a volume shooter, nor outside shooter, more of a true Center / rim runner.
Perry - PG / 2G - definitely not getting more minutes or shots than Wilson would. He will be a backup.
Chandler - 2G - Couple years away from contributing major points or minutes.
Noah - F - The only person who would be considered the same position that Wilson will play on the floor, he is not taking Wilson minutes or shots, he would back up Wilson.
Johnson - PG - exactly the type of player Wilson wants to play with.
Moreno - C - Like Garrison, he is a true 5. Will more than likely back up Garrison if he returns, which he will unless he transfers.
Lewis - PG - Will back up Johnson, as Oweh will be the 2G and Johnson will play PG.

Johnson, Oweh, Wilson would be the BIG 3 in minutes and shot attempts per game. PG,2G and PF, and Garrison at the 5 who will not command huge shots per game.

 

[chasingwildcat]

You are wrong. And using Castle as a example proves you haven't got a clue. Castle was a defensive specialist, PG / 2G, shooting and scoring was not his bread and butter. he shot roughly 8.5 shots per game, and shot 26% from 3. Who exactly next year would be options over Wilson ? Have you not noticed the # of shot Jaxson Robinson jacks up per game ? With what we have signed and what players are expected back off this years team, Wilson would be a BIG focal point in Pope's offense. A stretch 4 is one of if not the most important spot in Pope's offense. Learn, if in fact you truly are a UK fan. There would be shots galore for him at UK.

Current UK roster shot attempts per game :
Robinson - 10.9
Oweh - 10.5
Butler 8.6
Brea 8.3 (not a starter)
Carr 7.3 (heis a tretch 4, same position Wilson would play)
Williams 6.1 (in only 20 minutes per game)

Then factor in next years roster will not be as top to bottom talented, there will be plenty of minutes and shots for 4/5 players to get. This year UK has 8 players (counting Kriisa before his injury) that plays between 18-28 minutes per game. There is NO ONE at his position coming back next year, or signed for the incoming year.

Players projected to return for 25-26. Not one player would take minutes at his position, he would get all the minutes and shots he desires.

Oweh - 2G
Garrison - C - He is not a volume shooter, nor outside shooter, more of a true Center / rim runner.
Perry - PG / 2G - definitely not getting more minutes or shots than Wilson would. He will be a backup.
Chandler - 2G - Couple years away from contributing major points or minutes.
Noah - F - The only person who would be considered the same position that Wilson will play on the floor, he is not taking Wilson minutes or shots, he would back up Wilson.
Johnson - PG - exactly the type of player Wilson wants to play with.
Moreno - C - Like Garrison, he is a true 5. Will more than likely back up Garrison if he returns, which he will unless he transfers.
Lewis - PG - Will back up Johnson, as Oweh will be the 2G and Johnson will play PG.

Johnson, Oweh, Wilson would be the BIG 3 in minutes and shot attempts per game. PG,2G and PF, and Garrison at the 5 who will not command huge shots per game.

Wilson and Isaac are similar, is Isaac an offensive guy? The fact is wilson will be more focused on defense if he comes here. I think Wilson (assume he comes here) and Castle are comparable. Both not the center star just a role player of offense. Isaac is not the core of offense in college either.

I also believe we will get 1-2 more scorer from portal and offence will more reply on them and oweh (if he returns)

 

[catsfanbgky]

Who is Isaac ? Wilson's outside shot is not his bread and butter, using his athletic ability and passing is. He is a hybrid 4 who can dribble, pass, and use his length to drive on his man. He can start and finish the break. 6-9 slightly over 200 pounds, he is not a PF who bangs. He can guard multiple positions. Has the quickness and mobility to switch onto guards. length and athleticism to beat bigger players.

 

[chasingwildcat]

Who is Isaac ? Wilson's outside shot is not his bread and butter, using his athletic ability and passing is. He is a hybrid 4 who can dribble, pass, and use his length to drive on his man. He can start and finish the break. 6-9 slightly over 200 pounds, he is not a PF who bangs. He can guard multiple positions. Has the quickness and mobility to switch onto guards. length and athleticism to beat bigger players.

Jonathan isaac. Same class with Fox, Monk and Bam, 6th draft pick

They are the same type player. Isaac is even bigger in size.

 

[ib4ky]

It just depends what Wilson wants his playing situation to be like, playing with experience or playing with youth, barring any unforseen transfers out of either school.

As it stands now (and on 1/24) UNC could have more returning experience (based on no transfers out and no 25/26 portal info) and UK will have more freshmen talent (based on current commits).

Potential 2025/26 rosters
UNC:
6-1 JR Cadeau, 29-mpg, 10-ppg
6-3 SR Trimble, 30-mpg, 13-ppg
6-6 SO Powell, 24-mpg, 7-ppg
6-8 SR Lubin, 16-mpg, 6-ppg/ 6-9 FR Wilson
6-10 SO Washington, 18-mmg, 6-ppg
Two incoming 6-4 SG, ranked #44, #62

UK:
6-3 FR Lewis/ 6-1 SO Perry, 6-mpg, 2-ppg
6-4 FR Johnson
6-4 SR Oweh, 27-mpg, 15-ppg
6-9 FR Wilson (??)
6-10 JR Garrison, 18-mpg, 6-ppg/ 7-0 FR Moreno

2025/26 Playing time: UK
2025/26 Experienced teamates: UNC
Less pressure: UNC
Distance from home: Same, Chapel Hill and Lexington are both 380-miles from Atlanta.

I'm leaning UNC, but hoping UK.........
If not Wilson, maybe Ament........

 

[catsfanbgky]

So are you a FSU fan ? Kind of odd mentioning a player from years ago. That is why I asked who is Isaac? I know who he is but didn't think you was referring to a player from 8 years ago .

This post is asking chasing wildcat

 

[AJG-15]

I know we might be a little allergic on the one and done concept and 5 starts recruits after the Calipari tenure at Kentucky, but I think for the long term success of the program, marketability, influence in the media, conference and national level recognition is important to continue to tap into the high level 5 starts recruits.

Having Coach Pope assures that Kentucky program interests come first and he will find the right balance between 5 starts, home grown, returning, transfer portal and international players.

So no reason to be adverse the idea of 5 starts recruits, Done right, and Pope and staff will do it the right way, it can bring many benefits.

 

[kyrx]

Sorry, just going by what Rivals has Johnson listed as (4-star as of now).