Rivals ranks Dontaie Allen a top 50 player
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
Glad to see him more than 40 spots higher than kyky Tandy. Proving to be best player in the state. He's a future cat and a bigger get than Tandy would've been anyways. He's also only one spot below DJ, though I expect that to change soon. DJ is an Elite 5 star prospect when all is said and done.
What a nice pair Jeffries and Allen would be on our team. Not only very good players but great kids.
This kid has produced all summer against elite competition and has excelled. As far as productivity is concerned he’s a top 25.
We gotta have this kid. Everyone wants a Kentucky boy repping the blue and the white if he’s got the talent.
If there's a top 50 kid from the state, I hope we're going after him. In the end, I trust Cal. But I'd love to see the kid here. I get not going after the top player in the state if he's a 3 star.
By all accounts, kid has worked his butt off to get here.
By all accounts, kid has worked his butt off to get here.
Obviously it's great for the kid, but it changes the dynamic of recruiting him.
When he was a top 200 kid, it's a no-brainer that UK can offer and he can come sit the bench and play as a junior and senior, basically the Hawkins route.
But when you're top-50 and the high majors come calling, is going to Kentucky and having to beat out more talented players for minutes still the path you take when you could start for other programs from day 1?
It's easy to be Cameron Mills here. It's hard to be Derek Willis.
And from Kentucky's standpoint, it's easy to add a 3-star in-state kid and still tell your other targets that they're top priority. When you bring in a top-50 player at the same position, suddenly the roster looks a little crowded and other teams starting talking about minutes and shots. It's why Tandy won't be here regardless of his ranking.
How is Allen wired? We'll find out. Because he'll get his offer. But he'll also get an honest pitch from Cal.
When he was a top 200 kid, it's a no-brainer that UK can offer and he can come sit the bench and play as a junior and senior, basically the Hawkins route.
But when you're top-50 and the high majors come calling, is going to Kentucky and having to beat out more talented players for minutes still the path you take when you could start for other programs from day 1?
It's easy to be Cameron Mills here. It's hard to be Derek Willis.
And from Kentucky's standpoint, it's easy to add a 3-star in-state kid and still tell your other targets that they're top priority. When you bring in a top-50 player at the same position, suddenly the roster looks a little crowded and other teams starting talking about minutes and shots. It's why Tandy won't be here regardless of his ranking.
How is Allen wired? We'll find out. Because he'll get his offer. But he'll also get an honest pitch from Cal.
Don't think it changes anything for Cal. If Allen fits in what Cal envisions his team doing, also if Allen were to come, would be a topic on every sports radio show. Cal and staff will hear it all the time, like with willis. Allen is a great talent, has that ability to shine amongst other stars...
Great addition i'd think.
Hope he comes
I think it has to change things for Cal. He's not a luxury piece you add for depth anymore. He's a kid who expects to play, and he's a kid who other players actually see on the roster.
So the question becomes, "is he good enough for the role he'd be filling?" Before it was just "is he good enough to see some minutes at Kentucky?"
There are a thousand kids in the country who'd take a UK offer right now and commit on the spot. But what are their expectations? What would their role be here? What are their other options?
Within the next couple weeks, Allen will be on campus. He'll run with our guys and sit and talk with the staff. Cal will tell him what the deal is, Allen will decide if that's what he wants.
If so, we'll offer. If not, I bet Cal "waits" and lets him choose another school in the meantime so we don't look like we lost out on him.
From what we seem to know about Allen, he's a monster worker with supreme confidence in his abilities. I hope he comes here and fights for his spot. But if he wants to go somewhere else, I understand. His choices aren't Winthrop and Morehead anymore.
I gave this post a like for this line:
"It's easy to be Cameron Mills here. It's hard to be Derek Willis." So true
You can sign Allen along with 6 or 7 other 2019 recruits & the roster won't be crowded. Because at the most we'll have only 3 players return after next season, Herro, Baker, & possibly Quickley. I know there's some on here hoping that Quade Green & Nick Richards will return after next season. That can't happen here. We've become pretty much a glorified junior college. Players here it seems that they don't have any eligibility left after their sophomore season. Our roster will never be crowded.
Hope he keeps climbing in the ranking so Cal has to offer him and start him at the 2
I don't mean crowded for us, I mean it will appear crowded to other players. If Dom Hawkins is on the team, that doesn't register to a PG recruit. If Tyler Ulis returns, that registers to a PG recruit.
We are 2 deep with talent at most positions. If a kid is so selfish he cant see the benefit of that, why would we want him?
I think most of "we" would blame Cal and not the kid if he doesn't end up here for that reason.
Definitely. And I think he ultimately comes here. I hope he does.
I'm just saying that now that he's viewed as a kid with the chance to play at high major schools, those schools are going to tell him he'll never play at UK, and then once he's here they'll tell kids, depending on their position, that Kentucky already has him at their spot.
Allen can see through that, and hopefully other recruits can too. But it does change the way he's recruited and the way we have to recruit around him. He's not a victory cigar for 2-3 years like most were expecting when they were clamoring for him.
Bryan Antoine, Josh Green and Keion Brooks with DJ Jeffries committed.
Some of those guys are 2/3 combos and others are 3/4 combos. I think Allen is a 3 at this level, but could play the 2 or 4 in a pinch, so there's room for more than one.
Word down here in Northern Kentucky is he has already been told his offer will come soon. Justice has been texting his coach.
The way everyone is dying to leave UK ..... we'll need 10 guys every year so having Allen and Jefferies be out 7th and 8th man but still getting 15 mpg their freshman year would be great!
Agreed. I think Jeffries is the real deal. Watched some highlights of him when he first committed and was really shocked he was ranked as low as he was. Dude has a ton of game.
Edit: I think Allen would also be a great get.
WCS, Poythress, Lee, Willis, and Hawkins all played at least 3 years at this glorified Junior College. They were all contributors as Juniors and/or Seniors.
So, there is a chance Green and Richards return. No guarantees, but they could and probably should stay and get their degrees.
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Who is this other Willis that you speak of? What you talking bout, Willis?
You would think Allen was Lebron by the way Cam Mills and others talked about him on the Leach Show this morning. They were blowing a gasket that Cal has not offered, but the offer is believed to be "imminent." If imminent, it would have happened by now!!!!
Geez.
Cal does this with every recruit that works his way onto his radar, whether the recruit is from Kentucky or some other spot in the world. Cal wants the top players with whom HE HAS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP and believes can play team ball in his system. So, he likes to get to know the kid before offering. And, when the kid looks good on the court, but seems a prima donna off and not willing to sacrifice for the team, he often will not offer, regardless of how good the kid is at playing basketball or what the fan base wants.
This ain't rocket science. And, it works for Cal, most of the time. But, if Cam Mills needs to eat 45 minutes of air time, I guess we get a show about what "imminent" means.
Geez.
Cal does this with every recruit that works his way onto his radar, whether the recruit is from Kentucky or some other spot in the world. Cal wants the top players with whom HE HAS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP and believes can play team ball in his system. So, he likes to get to know the kid before offering. And, when the kid looks good on the court, but seems a prima donna off and not willing to sacrifice for the team, he often will not offer, regardless of how good the kid is at playing basketball or what the fan base wants.
This ain't rocket science. And, it works for Cal, most of the time. But, if Cam Mills needs to eat 45 minutes of air time, I guess we get a show about what "imminent" means.
Allen is taking a visit (unofficial?) to UK on August 1st, and then U of L a week or two later. I imagine the offer will happen on his unofficial visit.
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