It’s amazing how really good things that happen can quickly diminish some disappointments. Less than 24 hours after suffering an embarrassing late second loss to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT, the University of Kentucky and its coach John Calipari received some really good news.
This morning Julius Randle, the nation’s No. 1 power forward and No. 3 overall recruit in the Class of 2013 committed to play college basketball for the Wildcats. Randle selected Kentucky over Kansas, Florida and Texas.
With that committment from Randle, John Calipari has secured the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for the fourth time in his five-years in Lexington.
ESPN is also reporting that Calipari’s 2013 class and the strength of recruits in the class give Kentucky, on paper, the best recruiting class of all time.
Randle joins No. 1 point guard Andrew Harrison, No. 1 shooting guard Aaron Harrison, No. 1 center Dakari Johnson, No. 3 small forwardJames Young, No. 9 power forward Marcus Leeand three-star power forward Derek Willis in the Wildcats’ 2013 class. Randle, Young and the Harrison twins are top-10 overall recruits, while Johnson and Lee are in the top 20.
This Kentucky Wildcats recruiting class has six top-20 recruits, four of whom are the No. 1 player at their respective position.
Michigan’s 1991 Fab Five class had been the gold standard for recruiting classes. Kentucky’s group on paper is larger, deeper and more talented.
Again this all on paper, because these rankings mean nothing in regards to how well this group will perform once they are forced to mesh together.
The bigger question is considering the size and talent of this group, what will the rest of the 2012 Wildcats, excluding Norlens Noel, choose to do in regards to their future.
Will Ryan Harrow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress, and Archie Goodwin be willing to take a back seat to a loaded class, while trying to offer leadership.
Would any of those incoming guys listen to a group that besides Noel seemed to be all hype. This will get interesting.