Posted on Thu, May. 08, 2008

Secret's out: Hood commits to Cats

6-7 MADISONVILLE JUNIOR COULDN'T KEEP QUIET ANYMORE

By Mike Fields

MFIELDS@HERALD-LEADER.COM

Pablo Alcala | Staff

Jon Hood of Madisonville scored against Trinity's Will Brooks during a tournament in January. He averaged 23.8 points this past season. Photo by Pablo Alcala | Staff

Madisonville basketball star Jon Hood did his best to keep it a secret after he committed to Kentucky a couple of weeks ago.

On his way to the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, Ohio, the last week of April, he stopped in Lexington and met with UK Coach Billy Gillispie.

"I sat down with him that Friday morning, and that's when I committed," Hood said. "We've been keeping it quiet since then."

Hood planned to make an announcement after school was out in late May.

But on Wednesday night, the news leaked out after Hood called the coaches of the other schools that had offered him a scholarship -- Georgia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi and Tennessee -- to let them know he was going to UK.

"Then we got a call that it was all over (the Internet) that Jon had committed to Kentucky," said Brian Hood, Jon's dad. "Word spread fast."

Hood, a 6-foot-7 swingman who was first-team All-State as a junior this past season, was glad the cat was out of the bag. "I'm happy and relieved," he said. "It's all good, and it's all done."

Hood originally planned to wait until later this summer to make his college choice.

"But when you know, you just know," Brian Hood said. "It got to the point where Jon didn't feel right talking to coaches at other schools when he knew he wanted to go to Kentucky. He didn't want to tell those other coaches anything that wasn't true."

Jon said he knew for sure UK was the place for him after he made an unofficial visit to the UK campus during his high school spring break in early April.

"I went to class with (Patrick) Patterson and (Derrick) Jasper and talked to them about what it was really like," he said. "That really influenced me.

"They told me the truth, that it was a lot of work but it was fun as well."

The senior-to-be also credited Gillispie's recruiting skills: "He's one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in the country. He just wears you down. He's really confident about getting guys who can win."

Hood blossomed into a big-time prospect last summer while playing AAU ball with the Nashville Celtics.

His strong play continued into his high school season, and he averaged 23.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists for Madisonville.

He broke his wrist when he was hit going up for a dunk in the district tournament, and he didn't play in the region tourney.

He said he is fully recovered now, and he has already played in two tournaments with his Nashville AAU team.

"There's another tournament this weekend, but I'm staying home and taking my girlfriend to the prom," said Hood, who will celebrate his 17th birthday on Friday.

Hood is the second player in the high school class of 2009 to commit to UK, joining G.J. Vilarino, a 6-foot guard from McKinney, Texas.

The last Madisonville player to play for UK was Travis Ford in the early 1990s. Kentucky recruits

Players who have signed with Kentucky or committed orally to the Cats:

Signings for 2008-09

Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High school

Kevin Galloway-x G/F 6-7 200 Sacramento, Calif. Sacramento

Darius Miller SG 6-6 215 Maysville Mason County

DeAndre Liggins PG 6-5 190 Chicago Washington

Josh Harrellson-y F 6-9 260 St. Charles, Mo. St. Charles

Commitments for 2009-10

Jon Hood G/F 6-7 185 Madisonville Madisonville

G.J. Vilarino PG 6-0 160 McKinney, Texas McKinney

Commitments for 2010-11

z-Dakotah Euton F 6-8 215 Ashland Rose Hill Christian

Dominique Ferguson F 6-9 200 Indianapolis Lawrence North

K.C. Ross-Miller PG 6-0 170 Irving, Texas God's Academy

Commitments for 2011-12

Vinny Zollo F 6-8 215 Greenfield, Ohio McClain

Commitments for 2012-13

Michael Avery G 6-4 175 Lake Sherwood, Calif. TBA

x-Galloway played one season at Southern California and one at Southern Idaho Junior College before transferring. He'll have two seasons of eligibility.

y-Harrellson played one season at Southwestern Illinois College before transferring to UK, where he'll have three seasons of eligibility beginning this season.

z-Euton is transferring to Scott County this fall.