Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Recruiting: NBA age limit should have no effect on UK's 2012 recruiting class
By Paul Jordan
It is 24 days and a few hours until the current NBA Collective Bargaining agreement expires and as the June 30 deadline approaches, the threat of a NBA lockout increases by the day. There have been some signs that the league is preparing for a lockout, the most recent one being that the NBA nixed the Charlotte Hornet’s plans to hold a pre-lockout camp in which they could evaluate young and just drafted talent.
Since the NBA will not allow the summer league to go forward without a CBA, this was the Hornet’s attempt to get in a mini-summer league before the agreement expired. No can do.
Now it appears that the NBA is still holding talks and it looks like there is some (slight) hope that the lockout can be averted, no one is really looking at a side effect of the possible NBA lockout. The NCAA class of 2012 is simply not making up their minds apparently until this whole NBA mess is decided.
While it is not a major part of the NBA talks, one thing will be decided in the new CBA. That will be the age for entrants to the NBA. As of now, it is just one year out of high school, hence the reason for all the “One and dones”. The NBA is pushing for this to be a two year rule, which means that there would be no “One and dones” in the 2011 classes. They would in effect become “two and done” and it appears to be affecting the decisions of the top players in the 2012 class.
At this time last year, Kentucky already had their 2011 class locked up. But as of now, Kentucky has no commits for the 2012 class, and the only action for UK has been that PH Ryan Harrow has transferred to UK to be eligible for 2012. The lack of top players in the 2012 class committing has been scarce so far.
Of Rivals’s top 11 players for 2012, only one, Isaiah Austin has committed, that being to Baylor and there are rumors and rumblings that he may de-commit soon. Only five of the top 20 players in 2012 have pulled the trigger thus far and this number is down from previous years. Only 16 of the top 50 players have announced and this appears to be good for John Calipari and Kentucky.
Kentucky is one of the teams that will be affected as much as anyone by the NBA early entrant rule. As of now, Kentucky will lose Darius Miller to graduation and probably Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb to the NBA after this season. Now if the NBA keeps their current one and done rule, you could likely add Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, and Michael Gilchrist to that list. That is a lot of scholarships to replace. And a lot of speculation.
You can argue that a top player may not want to Kentucky in 2012 knowing that he will have to sit a year behind Davis, Gilchrist, and Teague when they can readily start for another team their freshman year and have two years starting to hone their NBA skills.
On the other hand, you can look at it and say that that a top player may put the system above immediate playing time, especially if he know that he will be starting in 2013. What better place to get ready for the NBA than Kentucky? As a Wildcat, you could spend your freshman year practicing against a virtual NBA squad without the pressure of being a savior like you would be if you were forced to start from Day One. Plus you would get the second year to start and showcase your game for the NBA?
You can look at it either way. Kentucky may lose a few top recruits to the lack of playing time if the NBA institutes the two year rule. But I would not think it will be a large number. Recruits are smart enough to look at Kentucky and see players like Bledsoe, Orton, and Liggins, who were not the “big star” at UK but joined a talented team, bought into the system and found their name called on Draft Day (yes, Liggins will get drafted).
I think that the recruits are concerned about the NBA age limit, but I do not think it will dissuade them from joining a specific college. Just because a team can promise you a starting spot right away does not equate the fact that it will be the best system for a specific recruit. Players know that Calipari’s system and style of play is the path to the NBA right now, whether they have to wait one or two years … or even more to enter the NBA draft. Terrence Jone’s decision to stay at UK and improve his NBA stock rather than take a pretty good draft position in an uncertain NBA speaks volumes that John Calipari is the one to get you where you want to be.
While the recruits may be slow coming to Kentucky in 2012, I think we should have all learned that recruiting is not something we have to worry about anymore. Especially with Calipari at the helm.
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