I have no idea, possibly none. It was more an observation about the lack of Kentucky commitments from Kentucky. I was wondering whether this was an anomaly, or whether Ming puts less of an emphasis on recruiting Kentucky kids. I assume some coaches have a preference of recruiting locally and others cast a wider net.
I’ve heard him say several times that recruiting begins locally, then expands statewide and nationwide. There are players on the team from Lexington, from the state and from other states (not to mention Canada). While it’s true that he doesn’t have any commitments from the preseason All-American list you referenced, every commitment he has secured, including players from Kentucky, are highly regarded by recruiting services.
I would like to see more recruits from Kentucky but, thinking back over the years, I’ve watched some outstanding out-of-state players don the blue and white and never spent any time thinking, “If only they were native Kentuckians”. I cheered them on because they were/are Kentucky Wildcats. As a UK alum, every single player (not to mention coach, manager, and other admin working with the team) represent me on the diamond. It really doesn’t matter where they’re from. They chose to play baseball at and for my university and, by extension, for me.
Recruiting is a complicated process in all sports, but I think especially in baseball. As difficult as it is for me to accept that a Kentuckian would not want to play for the state flagship school, it’s a fact that, for a variety of reasons, some don’t. Do any of the players on the list fall into that category? I don’t know, but I would guess that there are.
I’m sure there are any number of reasons why the staff may not recruit a talented in-state player, even if that player would love to play for UK. Limited scholarships, position of need considerations, character issues, academic issues, injuries, likelihood of any given player choosing to sign with a professional team instead of going the college route, etc. surely comes into play.
Is the staff unaware of the existence of talented in-state players? I seriously doubt it. Has the staff evaluated them and possibly, rightly or wrongly, come to a different conclusion about their abilities? I don’t know, but I would guess that it has happened.
I could be mistaken but I seriously doubt that the staff is biased against or indifferent toward in-state players.
I’m really not worried about the ability of this staff to evaluate players and secure commitments from potential SEC-quality performers. That may place me in the minority on this board, but there it is. I can live with it.
The only area of concern I have about this staff is player development, and I think it’s too early to make a decision about that, especially in light of the recent change in key staff positions. Time will tell the tale.
