Calipari looks to close the deal with Harris, Lamb, and Irving home visits
By Staff
closer (klō′zər)
noun
someone or something that closes
a person adept at completing a business deal, an assignment, etc. successfully
Simply put, it’s time to call in the closer. After several months of talking and unofficial visits with the top members of the 2010 basketball class, it’s time for the UK coaching staff to make the call to the bullpen and put the closer into the game. And that is exactly what has been going on this week as John Calipari has been making home visits and looking to deliver the first recruits of the 2010 class. Let’s take a look at a few of the top targets from this week.
TOBIAS HARRIS
UK kicked off their in-house recruiting sessions with Tobias Harris and Harris’s father Torrell said that the visit was “great”. Perhaps the biggest concern with Mr. Harris is he wants the coaches to tell him exactly how his son is going to be utilized at the college level. Torrell has stated a few times that Tobias is not a power forward, but a point forward and the Harris’s will be looking for a school to utilize Tobias’s playmaking abilities. You would think that the DDMO would utilize Harris effectively as a playmaker.
From all indications, Calipari was able to explain how Tobias would be utilized as Torrell had these comments after the visit:
“He talked about how Tobias is gonna fit in. He has a chance to be a special player and has a chance to play at the next level. You name it, we talked about it.”
“He was talking about his program and what he’s trying to accomplish. The good that he wants for his players, his graduating percentage of his players. A lot of his players respect him after they’ve played for him many, many years ago. He has a good rapport with players on the court.”
DORON LAMB
Lamb has been believed to be a serious UK lean for quite a while, and if that is true, it’s time for Calipari to close this deal. After the in-home visit with Harris on Wednesday, Calipari and his staff met with Doron Lamb’s parents on Thursday. Lamb was away at school in Oak Hill, but Calipari apparently made a good impression with his parents. According to Doron’s father, Calvin, Calipari has a very serious interest in the #3 shooting guard and 21st rated overall recruit: “The way they made it seem, he’s one of their top priorities”.
As in the case with Tobias Hill, Calipari’s main message is to convey to the parent’s that their sons particular skill set would be utilized properly and it appears that Cal got the message across:
“Basically [they talked about] how it would benefit my son to go there. The way they play fits his style. They say he’s a combo guard. He’s a strong combo guard. He plays both.”
KYRIE IRVING
Irving has been a tough recruit to figure out, but from recent reports, UK had slipped to a distant 3rd behind Indiana and Duke. And then the home visit occured. This visit was originally scheduled for the 15th, but was moved to Thursday, the same day as Doron Lamb. And from all indications (big props to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Dustin Rumbaugh), Calipari made a HUGE impact and for a short period at least, UK is right up there with Indiana and Duke: “I definitely got to know them a little more and it definitely put them higher on my list just from that visit”.
Rumbaugh took the opportunity to ask Irving is this visit placed Kentucky in the same position as his admitted leaders and Irving replied “Yeah, they are“. According to Rumbaugh, Kyrie wanted to know specifically Calipari’s plans for him and what role he may play for the Cats next year and the fact that in the DDMO, Irving may find himself playing the 2 position. Kyrie had these comments:
“It was just possibilities, like if John Wall left and things like that. Like, if I were to go there, I would be playing either the 1 or 2. Eventually, I was able to learn everything.”
“In [head coach Joh
n Calipari’s] system it’s all about dribble and drive. Everybody is in attack mode. I don’t think he really has relative positions”
Calipari remains in full swing this week with his in home visits. There was a in-home visit with big man Adreian Payne scheduled for today and the schedule runs through next week.
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