‘It’s not a bland class whatsoever’: Analysts like UK’s recruiting haul
Three high-profile commitments with two months to go until the November signing period is a pretty good spot for John Calipari to be in, and his early recruiting haul received more accolades last week with Rivals.com’s latest update to its class of 2019 rankings.
The biggest mover among players ranked in the top 20 was Kahlil Whitney, who committed to Kentucky last month and jumped from No. 23 to No. 7 on Rivals’ list.
The only other committed player in the new top 10 was Tyrese Maxey, the affable point guard from Texas who committed to the Cats back in May and is the No. 9 player in the country.
And the highest-ranked high school player from Kentucky? That would be Pendleton County’s Dontaie Allen, who picked UK in early August and is ranked No. 54 nationally by Rivals.
“It’s the start of what you expect from John Calipari and Kentucky in recruiting,” Rivals.com national analyst Eric Bossi told the Herald-Leader. “They’re off to a great start.”
Bossi added that he expects Kentucky to land “two or three more big-time guys” in the 2019 cycle and contend for the honor of No. 1 recruiting class in the country yet again. Calipari visited five of the six top-ranked prospects in the new Rivals rankings — Vernon Carey, James Wiseman, Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Stewart and Matthew Hurt — over the past week alone, and several other highly touted players remain on his 2019 wish list.
The Cats’ recruiting haul so far is good enough for the No. 2 national ranking — behind Southern Cal — and it’s a group led by Whitney, an athletic wing player from Chicago who was measured at 6-7.5 with a 6-10.5 wingspan at last month’s Nike Skills Academy.
Such drastic moves — from No. 23 to No. 7 — are not often seen within the five-star ranking zone, but Whitney has had an especially impressive year so far.
“I don’t think anyone has ever disputed how talented he was. But he hasn’t always been in the situation to be the man,” Bossi said. “This spring and summer was really the first time where he was clear cut with the opportunity to be the man, and we really liked what we saw from him in the spring. We toyed with maybe moving him into the top 15 after the spring, but we just kind of wanted that one more summer of, ‘OK, let’s watch and be sure that this is really what we think of him.’ And he was even better during July.
“A lot of kids talk about getting serious in the gym and putting in the time and committing to their craft, but you can see once they hit the floor who is really about that life and who isn’t. And Kahlil has clearly been about that. His jump shot is much improved. His ball handling is much improved. A consistent motor and effort and trying to step on people’s throats — that’s him now. And that hasn’t always been the case.”
Whitney, who plays for Roselle Catholic (N.J.), the alma mater of former UK player Isaiah Briscoe, has acknowledged past issues with not sustaining his energy on the court. He showed over the summer that motor is no longer a problem, and analysts have taken notice. 247Sports ranks him No. 6 nationally, and ESPN has him at No. 9.
“I think he has to be looked at as a legitimate one-and-done candidate at this point,” Bossi said. “What happens in college and over the next year of high school will obviously play into that. He’s reached this point. Now he can’t settle and feel like he’s made it. He probably needs to work even harder than he’s worked to get to where he is. But that potential is certainly there, and he does look to me now like a guy who isn’t just going to be a good college player. He’s going to be a guy who can come in and make an immediate and big impact right away as a freshman.”
Maxey and Allen are obviously important additions, too, and Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans says the versatility of this initial trio should give Kentucky several options — both on the court and in the way the Cats finish out the 2019 recruiting cycle.
“They have the top in-state prospect — and one of the best isolation scorers on the wing — with Dontaie Allen,” Evans told the Herald-Leader. “They have maybe the biggest alpha dog of them all with Kahlil Whitney. And they have the biggest personality with Tyrese Maxey. So it’s not a bland class whatsoever. It checks a lot of the boxes when it comes to energy, scoring, shooting, defense, toughness.
“I think it just gives Calipari and his staff a lot of wiggle room going into the fall, as far as what they need or what they want. Because guys like Maxey and Whitney, they can mask so many other holes that might be there.”