2012 Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: T.J. Warren

July recruiting continues to roll on and new names are popping up daily it seems. The newest name is one not many had heard of before, but UK fans better get to know him because he will be a major player for the 2012 class. His name is T.J. Warren, and is a riser in the 2012 class.

The 2012 class is taking their time in making decisions and most have not narrowed down lists yet, so we can expect names to come out from time to time that maybe fans haven’t been following. It should be a very interesting next few months to see who gets offers and ultimately who becomes the first 2012 recruit to commit to UK. Today we will profile T.J. Warren who picked up an offer recently from UK after Calipari watched him play at the Lebron James Skills Academy in Akron, OH. Lets take a closer look at Warren:

T.J. Warren

6’7 215 SF

Brewster Academy NH- Durham NC

Rivals Ranking: **** #8 SF, #36 Overall

ESPN Ranking: **** (95) #6 SF, #39 Overall

Warren recently transferred from Word of God High School in North Carolina to attend Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Warren has said he felt it was in his best interest to transfer to Brewster which is a high profile school for basketball players to attend. Warren is a very strong wing player who is at his best in one on one situations where he can use his body to get into the lane and finish. Scouts say he isn’t a great shooter or an unbelievable athlete but is a fantastic natural scorer. He is a guy who with his strength and body size could be a good defender under Calipari and is probably a player who would be at UK for a few years. With that, make no mistake, Warren is a very talented player and one who UK obviously feels would be a huge asset to the program.

UK wasn’t a school he mentioned in his list of 7 schools early last week but after the scholarship was offered he has said UK will be on the list and he is wanting to visit the school. Warren also has UK connections as he is friends with both John Wall and Ryan Harrow who are also originally from North Carolina. Having a former and current player on UK’s team has to help UK in the recruiting process with Warren, and it will be interesting to see how Warren’s interest changes in the Cats as a result of this offer.

Here is what ESPN had to say about Warren, along with some videos after:

Strengths:
T.J.’s a big, versatile wing player who knows how to use his body like a savvy veteran creating off the dribble from the wing. He moves well without the ball and utilizes screens to free himself; after the catch he has a great shot fake and drive. He has a knack for drawing contact and has a nice touch from the free-throw
line. He prefers to shoot it off the catch. Sneaky athlete with good size and has consistently gotten taller with each passing high school season. Mix in the fact that his father played college ball (NC State ’74-’76) and you have a good player with college genes. Intelligent player, has the ability to carry a team.

Weaknesses:
T.J. is not a great defender at this point but he should improve with more discipline in the future. He can knock down a shot from the perimeter, but is going to need to rework his release to become a more consistent shooter from the 3-point line. He is a decent athlete in regards to running and jumping (not going to wow you). We would like to see him play with a higher motor and greater sense of urgency. He owns too good of a body to not be a better rebounder. Also needs to work on replicating efforts and keeping his focus. Would like to see him become a vocal player and not settle for 3’s.

Bottom Line:
T.J. is very skilled for a young player. He is a fantastic natural scorer. T.J. can score inside and out. He uses his size very well inside on post ups. He’s a Top 100 level prospect who spent his first two seasons at Durham Riverside before transferring. He’ll be a first or second tier recruit for high-major schools.

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