Should we be worried about the 2012 Recruiting Class?
When one mentions “2012”, many people are filled with fear and anxiety. Why? Because many believe that the end of the world will happen on December 12, 2012. There is no empirical evidence that the end will come on that date, but the Mayan calender is said to predict that specific date as the last day in human history.
I am not one of those that prescribes to the whole 2012 Dooms Day theory. As a UK fan I have bigger things about which to worry. The #1 thing is the 2012 recruiting class. John Calipari has not one single recruit commitment as of this moment.
We Kentucky fans are spoiled. Coach Cal has produced back-to back-to back #1 recruiting classes, why should we not expect a fourth in a row?
The #1 player in the class is Shabazz Muhammad, and the #2 player isn’t even close to this kid. Muhammad still has the Cats listed near the top of his list but it is rumored that UCLA is the school to beat for his services. It also is rumored that UCLA has the edge because they are an Adidas school and Muhammad has ties to Adidas. Tell me that there isn’t a violation waiting to be found there.
Another top priority is Perry Ellis. It seems that Cal and Orlando Antigua have both devoted large amounts of time in watching this kid. Jody Demling just reported that Ellis has narrowed his choices down to Kentucky, Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita State. He is a native of Kansas. Obviously it would be tough to pry this kid from home.
DaJuan Coleman is another kid that has been on Cal’s watch list for a long time now. All of a sudden Coleman announced that he has been talking to Jared Sullinger (he who was bested by Josh Harrellson) and is now heavily considering Ohio State.
That’s three players that Calipari has heavily recruited and they have not committed to the Wildcats. Should we be worried? Not at all. These kids are as about as wishy-washy about their college choices as my wife is about which new couch she is going to pick out for the living room.
But don’t forget about the magic Calipari can work. John Wall was signed when many thought he wouldn’t come. Eric Bledsoe came in despite the fact that he would have to share the point guard position with Wall. And who can forget the Terrence Jones Soap Opera? The kid committed to Washington, he put on the hat and everything, and eventually ended up being a beast at Kentucky.
All of the doom and gloom surrounding the 2012 recruiting class should stop. John Calipari will not land every single recruit that he goes after, but be rest assured that Cal will get most of the kids he wants. He has built a program at Kentucky that is back on top, back in the news and back in the NBA. Those are things that would be hard for any 17 year old kid to turn down.
Step away from the edge of the cliff. All is well and tranquil in the Big Blue Nation.
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