Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Recruiting: Scouting 2011's Trevor Lacey

Is John Calipari right to be cautious of Trevor Lacey?

Last night, UK target Trevor Lacey and Butler High School won its third Alabama 4A state championship in four years under Coach Jack Doss and Lacey was named MVP of the Tournament.  Coach Doss stated earlier this week that after coaching 31 players that went on to play division one basketball, Lacey was the best high school player in Alabama’s history. As a result, my inner Wildcat was salivating on my way to the game as I thought about the arrival of another Boogie Cousins or Eric Bledsoe next year. However, although my expectations were admittedly high, Lacy’s level of play was particularly low, and I left the game disappointed.

Let me preface this scouting report by first saying that I have not had the pleasure of watching Trevor Lacey play many basketball games in his illustrious career at Butler High School. I understand that everyone has an off night, and it is very likely that last night was Lacey’s. However, in the sage words of hip-hop artist Lil Wayne, “I got to call it like I see it, and my glasses on!”

First Quarter

Lacey is a strong player and easily the best athlete on the floor. He shows some unselfishness in the lane and good ability to get to the rim, but can’t finish. He leads his team with eight rebounds per game, but he could’ve grabbed eight boards in the first quarter alone with any effort. Although he is very offensive minded, he makes a good steal with 3:33 left on the clock, and zips down the floor on a fast break. Unfortunately,

he has a hard time negotiating the ball over the cylinder, and completely misses the dunk (think Eloy Vargas). Lacey finishes the first quarter 0-2 from three point range (1-11 on the tournament), with three points.

Second Quarter
I’m not sure if this is by design, but on defense, Lacey stands out on the arc and waits to release when the ball is rebounded. The hitch in this plan is that Butler can’t get a rebound because the biggest man on the floor is standing thirty-five feet from the basket. Midway through the quarter, Lacey scores an impressive fade away mid-range jumper from the base line, and then hustles back to block a shot on defense. This is his
only made field goal of the quarter due to a couple of missed layups. Lacey finishes off the half with a turn-around fade away jump shot from three point range that doesn’t draw iron.

Third Quarter
Lacey begins the second half attacking the basket like I expect. He shows good lateral quickness and his ability to use his left hand around the rim. He exhibits better effort on the defensive end, but continues to struggle from three point range. At this point in the game, it seems that Butler’s point guard Justin Pride is the most talented player on the floor. Lacey finishes the quarter with nine points and five rebounds. He shows signs of frustration before he sits on the bench for a breather.

Fourth Quarter
As Anniston High Schools begins to cut into Butler’s comfortable lead, Lacey becomes much more active on the defensive end, which leads to a couple of layups. He makes an aggressive shot block, but then reverts to ball watching on defense for the rest of the game. As Butler secures its victory with time quickly running out, Lacey appears relieved. He finishes that game with 13 points (21 under his average) and seven rebounds.

Sports writers in this region speculate that Coach Calipari’s reluctance to offer Trevor Lacey a scholarship stems exclusively from eligibility issues related to his grades. After viewing tonight’s championship game, it seems quite possible that Coach Calipari may have more than one reason to be cautious about extending Lacey an offer. There is no arguing the fact that Lacey is a great player with a bright future in basketball, but the Big Blue Nation has good reason to be cautiously optimistic.

If we end up with Lacey, I fear that he might be the Stacy Poole of this new class. We are very guard heavy at this point, and I believe Stan Simpson’s services would be much more beneficial to the team.  Even if say, Brandon Knight goes pro after this season, I stand by this opinion as Kentucky would still have Teague, Lamb, Beckham, Liggins, Poole, and Hood.  Also keep in mind that this is the first year that Lacey has incorporated the three point shot into his game.  His mechanics are still a bit shaky and I do not see him as the reliable three point scorer to replace Knight.  I still think, even if Knight goes pro that Kentucky is better served adding front court depth to the 2011 class.

"William A. Ellis is a new staff writer for the Wildcat Blue Nation and this was his first entry.  We all appreciate the unique perspective he will bring to the site."

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