Chane Behanan and other 2011 recruits are discovering Kentucky roster spots are a matter of "supply and demand"
By Paul Jordan
And for the 2011 class, the demand far outweighs the availability of roster spots for John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats. As of right now, Marquis Teague and Michael Gilchrist have claimed sports for Kentucky’s 2011 class. And unfortunately, it may be a long arduous time before Kentucky increases on those numbers.
It’s a matter of simple math. As of now, Kentucky has 11 scholarships filled, leaving two available, which would be Teague’s and Gilchrist’s. Josh Harrellson graduates next year, but that scholarship could be taken quickly by Royce White or possibly another transfer or addition to the 2010 class. And just like that, there are no available roster spots.
Of course, if this season pans out as expected, there can be some NBA attrition, and Enes Kanter, Terrence Jones, and Brandon Knight are possible one and dones. I think that Knight may stay, so that really opens up two more roster sports, and three if White does not come to Kentucky. And of course we know that there are more than two or three top level players seemingly clamoring to come to Kentucky. Throw in the anticipated NBA lockout and you can see why the roster spots are at a premium.
Let’s take a look at some of the Top 50 2011 prospects that have Kentucky in their sights and their latest rivals ranking:
#4 LeBryan Nash, SF, Dallas TX
Nash is a new name for Wildcat fans but he is obviously a top talent. He does play the same position as Michael Gilchrist, but according to Rivals, Kentucky has already extended him an offer. As of now, Nash does have Kentucky in a top five of Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, and Kentucky and has plans to visit Lexington in September. He claims to have no favorites and is wide open on those five schools. Since this is the first time LeBryan has been mentioned on the WBN, here is part of what ESPN has to say about him:
"The top 10 player in the class of 2011 did not disappoint in Little Rock with his performance on the floor while leading his team to the championship. The powerful, yet skilled combo forward led his team throughout the weekend with an enhanced perimeter game that makes him a much tougher match-up. As usual Nash was a beast in the post when he wanted to take his defender down in the paint. He was just too strong and physical for defenders to deal with. However, the most impressive aspect of his development was his perimeter game"
#8 Quincy Miller, PF, High Point NC
By now, every Kentucky fan knows all about Quincy Miller and most now consider him the number one target remaining for John Calipari. It’s apparent that Miller has a high interest in Kentucky and he is often spotted wearing UK gear. The one thing does concern me about Miller is his close relationship with Deuce Bello, and the notion those two may go to the same school. Bello is a quality player and is ranked the 110th prospect per rivals and most schools would be thrilled to have both players as part of a package deal. It speaks volumes that Kentucky probably would not be able, at this point to extend a scholarship to Bello. I would not say that Bello is a dealkiller for UK either. Terrence Jones and Terrence Ross were a package deal at one time also.
#10 Michael Chandler, C, Indianapolis IN
Almost immediately after Chandler de-committed from the Cardinal, his name became associated with Kentucky. And most pundits would put Kentucky at the top of his list. Chandler knows that his number one focus has to be academics and he has acknowledged that this is is main priority now. Other top schools, like UNC, have recently shown interest, but you have to like where Kentucky stands with Chandler.
#11 Adonis Thomas, SF, Memphis TN
As of now, it appears that UK is not pursuing Thomas aggressively, although Rivals does show a Kentucky offer. The last I could find on Adonis in UK was from February when he was supposed to attend the UK/UT game, but did not. It’s not a given that Thomas goes to hometown Memphis. His coach was very critical of Josh Pastner a few months ago. Since we have not discussed Thomas a lot, here is a bit of ESPN’s scouting report on him:
"Adonis once again was very solid in his performance over the weekend showing why every one I so enamored with the SF. He just seems to do everything on the floor the right way. He has a great frame and athleticism to go with a very low-key demeanor that makes him a coach’s dream."
#17 Ky Madden, PG, LePanto AR
Another top PG listed with an offer from Rivals, but to be honest have not heard his name mentioned in several months, so I assume the trail has cooled a good bit. But as we know with Calipari, it does not take much to re-stoke those flames.
#20 Quinn Cook, PG, Hyattsville MD
It does not appear that Kentucky has offered Cook, but his name pops up a good bit when talking about the 2011 options. Most sites have him interested in Kentucky but I know at one time Maryland was considered the leader. At 6’1, Cook seems to have a good bit of Eric Bledsoe tendencies, as pointed out by ESPN:
"Cook brings a wealth of toughness and court savvy to the game that makes him a winner. He combines a nice change of pace game with the ability to knock down open jump shots to create problems for the defense."
#24 Johnny O’Bryant, PF, Cleveland Mississippi
O’Bryant is another recruit whose name has popped up recently and we recently covered some of the details on O’Bryant here. There is speculation that he may be the next addition to UK’s 2011 class and I would assume that he and Quincy Miller may be in a standoff to see who may commit next. He will be visiting Kentucky soon, but it will be hard to pull him out of the state of Mississippi.
#25 Anthony Wroten, PG, Seattle WA
Like Quincy Miller, we know Anthony Wroten all too well. Rivals shows UK as offering Wroten, but I do not know how reliable that is. Wroten has publicly stated several times that he wants to attend UK and he has the full support of Michael Gilchrist and Marquis Teague. But as we look at the numbers, you have to think that adding that next top tier PG is dependent on whether Brandon Knight returns in 2011. With the NBA lockout looming, there is too many questions on adding players this year.
#28 Trevor Lacey, PG/SG, Huntsville AL
Lacey, the defending Mr. Basketball in Alabama has recently become a hot commodity and has expressed his interest in joing the Wildcats for 2011:
"They have the top two players in my class but neither one plays my position,” Lacey said. “They are still looking for a shooting guard, so if no one else commits before I make my final decision that’s probably where I will be going to school."
Rivals does list Lacey as a PG, but as you can tell he
is very OK with switching positions and from the sounds of it, could be an addition to the 2011 class very soon.
#39 Amir Williams, C, Beverly Hills MI
Williams has been listed as interested in UK for quite some time and it appears his interest is picking up. He is rated as the fourth best center in the 2011 class but only the second center on this list after Chandler, so we can expect to hear quite a bit more about him as the months proceed. Here are some of his recent comments:
"They have a great coaching staff. They know how to get and develop guys to get you ready for the league (NBA). I think it would be a great college to go to and a great coach to play for if that is what I decided, My goal is to get to the NBA and I have to look and see what coaches can send you to the league. Coach Cal is one of those coaches who has proven he can do that"
#45 Chane Behanan, PF, Bowling Green KY
And now we come to perhaps the biggest name on this list for some people. Behanan has seen his stock zoom after being named the MVP of the NBA Top 100 Camp recently. And that has led to a flood of offers from many of the top programs sans Kentucky. And I know that a lot of people are upset about this, but the thing to do is practice due diligence when it comes to an offer. As we can see on the list, UK is limited in scholarships and are involved in eleven of the top 45 players in the country. I know that Behanan is waiting for an offer from UK as well and trust me, I would love to see Kentucky land Behanan, but I think an offer may take a while due to the players ahead of him and the relative uncertainty of the NBA lockout. If the lockout is averted, you may see more one and dones. Unfortunately it appears the Chane is in the waiting game.
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