Top wings interested in Cats

Three King City campers have UK on their short lists

By Jerry Tipton / jtipton@herald-leader.com

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CLEVELAND — Three top wing players in the next two high school classes expressed interest in Kentucky after playing games in the King City Classic on Wednesday.

The wings were senior-to-be Cameron Clark (ranked No. 26 by the Prep Stars recruiting service); junior-to-be Adonis Thomas (No. 23 in the class of 2011); and Quincy Miller (who was not on Prep Stars' summer listing of the top 25 players in the class of 2011).

Clark, a 6-foot-6 player from Sherman, Texas, said UK had offered a scholarship. He's also received interest from Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas.

Clark said his versatility interests the schools. "I can put it on the floor, dribble it, pass it, rebound. Basically, everything."

Thomas, from Memphis, said he's also considering Memphis, Miami, Florida State and Florida.

Miller, a 6-foot-8 player from Winston-Salem, N.C., listed a number of schools besides UK, including Louisville, Duke, North Carolina and Memphis.

Young Teague eying U of L

Marquis Teague, a highly rated point guard and brother of former Wake Forest star Jeff Teague, sounded close to announcing Louisville as his college choice.

"I kind of know where I want to go," he told reporters at the King City Classic.

Louisville was the first school he mentioned on his list of five.

"I love the whole university," he said. "... It's a great school."

Teague also said he likes Coach Rick Pitino, who coached the player's father, Shawn Teague, at Boston University.

"Coach Pitino is going to make you play hard," Teague said. "He won't let you slack off and waste his time."

Teague downplayed the significance of his father playing for Pitino.

"That was at Boston," he said. "My dad says Coach Pitino has changed a lot. He was trying to make it (in the early 1980s). The practices were terrible. My dad says there were drills then that Coach Pitino doesn't do now."

For instance, Teague noted a drill in which players held a brick in each hand while doing defensive slides.

Besides Louisville, Teague mentioned Indiana, Wake Forest, Ohio State and Purdue as his final five schools. A junior-to-be from Indianapolis, he said he'd like to visit Kentucky if UK offers a scholarship.

Prep Stars tabbed Teague as the fourth best player in the class of 2011.

Gilchrist's teammate not necessarily part of package

Kyrie Irving, a teammate of Michael Gilchrist at New Jersey powerhouse St. Patrick's High School, downplayed the possibility that the pair could be a recruiting package deal.

He and Gilchrist have talked about forming such a tandem, said Irving, who is a year older, four inches shorter and 44 pounds lighter. "Nothing serious," he said. St. Patrick's Coach Kevin Boyle also pooh-poohed such a possibility.

Calipari makes appearance

Kentucky Coach John Calipari is attending the recruiting camps in Cincinnati and Cleveland this week.

Calipari was among the coaches spotted in the stands of Cleveland State's Wolstein Center on Wednesday. During the morning session, Cavaliers star LeBron James was seen leaving his seat on the court to sit with Calipari for about 30 minutes.

Calipari also used his Twitter account to say he met with Nike officials in Cleveland. They talked about possible new uniforms for Kentucky next season, Calipari tweeted.