Who UK basketball is targeting for 2015
As college basketball's July recruiting period gets in full swing, the University of Kentucky will, as usual, be on the trail of many elite prospects. But exactly how many players the Wildcats will sign in the Class of 2015 is hardly concrete. It'll depend on how many underclassmen decide to leave UK for the NBA draft, and the success of next season will determine that. Will just two players go? Three? Four? Eight? All outcomes are fairly plausible. That said, UK probably will need at least 3-4 new recruits to go with current commitment Charles Matthews.
Here's a look at some of the candidates, grouped by position, then ordered by UK's perceived strength with each. Unlike most years, UK is not a clear-cut favorite for any target, but you can bet the house that John Calipari will end up with a class that's as good as or better than everyone else's. (Rankings via Scout.com)
Guards
CHARLES MATTHEWS
6-5, Chicago, No. 49
Lowdown: The tall, lanky combo guard committed to UK in February and has since taken a tumble in the national rankings, going from consensus top 15 to top 50. Still, his ability to shoot, pass, penetrate and play all three perimeter positions makes Matthews a top-notch player to have in the fold. He now hopes UK can get Malik Newman, Cheick Diallo, Carlton Bragg and others to join him.
Quotable: "I feel that (UK) is the only program in the country where you can recruit all these top players and get them to come together as one in such a span of time that (Calipari) gets it done. So playing with other great players? I'm not really worried about that." – Matthews, in June
MALIK NEWMAN
6-3, Jackson, Miss., No. 6
Other schools: Kansas, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Miami, Connecticut.
Lowdown: Newman, the nation's most electric perimeter scorer, has appeared to be far and away UK's top target in the backcourt. UK has generally been handicapped as the team to beat for Newman, but he hasn't named a favorite. He shapes up as the kind of likely one-and-done college player that Calipari has landed time and again at UK. Newman and five-star Milwaukee center Diamond Stone have said they would like to play together in college. Newman is the son of former Mississippi State player Horatio Webster.
Quotable: "I know that they always have pros." – Newman, in July 2013
Other possibilities
*Eric Davis, 6-3, Saginaw, Mich.: Four-star player wants to visit UK and said last month that he expects to receive an offer.
*P.J. Dozier, 6-7, Columbia, S.C.: Tall, four-star player doesn't have a UK offer, but has heard from Cats and will likely be evaluated closely.
Wings
JAYLEN BROWN
6-7, Marietta, Ga., No. 4
Other schools: UCLA, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Ohio State, Florida.
Lowdown: Rugged, athletic and one of the top performers of the spring and summer, Brown attacks the rim and can also score from outside. Like Newman, he seems like the kind of potential one-and-done prospect that Calipari tends to get when he makes that player a priority. Brown doesn't seem to enjoy the nonstop calls and attention of the recruiting process, but he's said Calipari is one of at least a few coaches he likes to hear from. Brown said he was "humbled" to get a UK offer this spring, calling it a "milestone." He was impressed that assistant Kenny Payne was willing to conduct a home visit on Easter Sunday. Brown's weariness of the recruiting process could hasten his decision.
Quotable: "What's not to like about Kentucky? The way they do things, the work they put in, the way they turn freshmen into veterans in a matter of months is great." – Brown, in June
DERRICK JONES
6-6, Radnor, Pa, No. 43
Other schools: Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville, Indiana, North Carolina, Kansas, Villanova, Arizona, Seton Hall.
Lowdown: A high-flying athlete, Jones has had a UK offer for about a year and has been interested. But he's fairly early in the decision-making process and it's not clear if UK will emerge as a top option.
Quotable: "Their coach produces NBA No. 1 draft picks, first-round draft picks, lottery picks." - Jones, in June
Other possibilities
**Ray Smith, 6-7, Las Vegas: UK recently made contact, and it wouldn't be a big surprise if he gets an offer.
**Brandon Ingram, 6-8, Kinston, N.C.: Cats could make his pared-down list even if they don't make an offer right away.
** Dwayne Bacon, 6-6, Mouth of Wilson, Va.
Centers/power forwards
CHEICK DIALLO
6-9, Centereach, N.Y., No. 5
Other schools: Pittsburgh, Kansas, Iowa State, St. John's.
Lowdown: The native of Mali has a nonstop motor and runs the floor, attacks the rim and defends the low post as well as anyone. He received a UK scholarship offer not long after Barry Rohrssen, who'd help recruit him at Pitt, was hired as Calipari's assistant. Diallo speaks English only semi-fluently, so he's never talked in depth about his favorites. But Diallo visited Lexington a week and a half ago, and recruiting visits to UK tend to be uber-impressive.
CARLTON BRAGG
6-9, Cleveland, No. 11
Other schools: Kansas, Ohio State, Illinois, Louisville
Lowdown: Bragg, who is a force from all over the court when his motor is running high, plans to officially visit UK for Big Blue Madness in mid-October, and he's praised Calipari for his reputation of sending players to the NBA. Before he received a UK offer last winter, Bragg said it was the only offer he lacked but still coveted. Given his excitement about the program, UK figures to be among the very top options for Bragg. He has, for what it's worth, also (somewhat surprisingly) said he doubts he and Brown would make ideal teammates at UK, even though they are friends and play separate positions.
Quotable: "Kentucky, if you go there -- I'm not trying to brag or nothing -- but it's one and done, regardless. It's success all day." – Bragg, in May.
STEPHEN ZIMMERMAN
6-11, Las Vegas, No. 8
Other schools: Arizona, Louisville, Indiana, Kansas, UCLA, UNLV, North Carolina
Lowdown: Skilled center plans to visit Lexington for Big Blue Madness, and UK figures to be a strong contender if he's willing to leave the West Coast. Otherwise, Arizona looks well-positioned.
SKAL LABISSIERE
6-10, Cordova, Tenn., No. 10
Other schools: Memphis, Georgetown, Baylor, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kansas.
Lowdown: Labissiere, a native of Haiti who came to the U.S. not long after his home country's devastating earthquake in 2010, was the first 2015 prospect to receive a UK offer, and it's been seen as a two-team race between the Wildcats and hometown Memphis for the last year and a half. UK figures to get an official visit, but the Tigers probably are ahead at this stage for Labissiere, who's back after missing nearly all of his junior season with a stress fracture in his back. A decision could come in December.
DIAMOND STONE
6-10, Milwaukee, No. 1
Other schools: Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma State.
Lowdown: UK has so far not made Stone a major priority, but the Cats figure to have interest in him if he does, indeed, want to be in a recruiting package deal with Newman.
IVAN RABB
6-10, Oakland, Calif., No. 3
Other schools: Arizona, California, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Southern California.
Lowdown: UK has offered Rabb a scholarship and remains on his list but is probably trailing.
Quotable: "They get a lot of top recruits every year, and that's very interesting to me because you know every year they're going to be really good. … I just want to make sure I have a spot to start and play as soon as I get on campus." – Rabb, in July 2013
Other possibilities: Caleb Swanigan, 6-9, Fort Wayne, Ind,; Doral Moore, 7-0, Locust Grove, Ga.