Kentucky Wildcat Basketball 2012 Recruiting: Meet Torian Graham
By Paul Jordan
As we all know by now, college basketball recruiting is a constantly changing, evolving creature and occasionally we learn of a player that may be high on Kentucky’s radar that seemed to be a virtual stranger just a few weeks ago. For the 2012 class, one of those players seems to be North Carolina’s Word of God Academy’s Torian Graham. If the school name seems familiar, it should be. It’s the school that groomed John Wall for his one year of Kentucky legend status. And apparently. John Wall may be a big reason why UK is now on Torian Graham’s radar.
Torian Graham recently made a visit to Lexington on March 1 and took in the Wildcat’s win over Vanderbilt. And part of the reason why Graham made the trip to Lexington is that he was referred by John Wall. As of now, Kentucky is recruiting Graham hard and Graham recently spoke about his recruitment:
"“Kentucky is recruiting me pretty hard right now, but I’m just thankful for the chance to take visits to a place like Kentucky. I have a lot of interest in Kentucky. I really like the style of play. They have an up-tempo offense and I like to run up and down the floor. I can also shoot the ball pretty well, so I feel like I fit in perfect,”"
Graham is currently ranked by Rivals as the 26th best player in the 2012 class and the sixth best SG prospect. Also visiting Kentucky at Vanderbilt was number one SG prospect Shabazz Mohammad. It’s kind of odd that two SG prospects attended the same game, but you wonder if Mr. Wall explained to Torian how Calipari’s system fits the athlete and how two players at the same position can both suceed and get plenty of playing time. After all, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are direct proof of this.
Even though Kentucky is recruiting Graham hard, they are not the only school on his list nor the only school working hard to land him:
"“I have about ten teams I’m looking at really hard right now. Kentucky, North Carolina, Miami, Louisville, Georgetown, Oklahoma, Florida, Xavier, Tennessee, and West Virginia. I pretty much like all the teams that are recruiting me right now, though. Kansas, Maryland, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and UCLA have all contacted me, too. Xavier is really recruiting me hard. They try to stay in touch with me a lot. I could also throw in Miami, Clemson, and UCLA into things too. They all work hard.”"
Don’t expect a decision from Graham anytime soon on where he will attend college. His current plan is to mull it over the summer and possibly decide before his senior season starts, so as of right now, he is looking like a decision in the Fall. Graham is 6’4 and offers the size and spped that John Calipari likes and he looks like he has the potential to be a very solid 3-4 year player at the next level. And as always, whenever we introduce a prospect, let’s take a look at what ESPN has had to say about Torian’s game but first the customary mixtape videos:
"Strengths:He’s evolving from elite athlete into prime time scorer. Graham continues to grow and his game expands. He’s capable of moving into his shot from deep range and hitting pull-ups. With a path to the rim he’s going to get into attack mode and use exceptional athleticism and body control to finish. He’s a high-major scoring option. Finishes going left or right and everything is at the rim.Weaknesses:There’s a little hitch in his shot that shows up on occasion. Graham also tends to play fast and is prone to turnovers because of it. He handles the ball well but with strength will come more confidence in traffic. Emotions can get the best of him so he’s got to work on keeping an even keel.Bottom Line:The first half of his high school resume was incomplete but a transfrer to Word of God has done him well. This is a high-major player who has the capability to be a primary scorer for a Top 25 team. One of the best talents in his class at his position."
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