Star recruit’s father: ‘We really like Kentucky.’ But it’s more complicated than that.

A few minutes before RJ Hampton made his debut on the Nike EYBL circuit Friday night, UK Coach John Calipari had settled into a courtside seat to catch the show.

A few days before that, Calipari was in Texas visiting Hampton and his family. The 6-foot-4 combo guard is the No. 5 overall player in the 2020 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, but it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll end up in the 2019 class.

That means he’d play college basketball next season. And that’s made things in his recruitment a little bit more complicated.

“Coach Cal came down and talked to everybody, and we’re feeling good about Kentucky. We really like Kentucky,” RJ’s father, Rod Hampton, told the Herald-Leader. “But we have time on our side.”

The Hampton family is in no rush. And they do indeed have the luxury of sitting back, watching the pieces fall into place and seeing which situation will be the best for RJ’s future. Both father and son mentioned multiple times in interviews Saturday that “fit” would be the major factor in the college decision.

And that’s where things get complicated.

The final four schools on Hampton’s list are Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Memphis.

The long-term goal for Hampton is to become an NBA point guard, and to make that happen he’ll likely have to prove in the short term that he’s a better fit on the ball than off the ball.

So, logically, Hampton should be playing the point for what is likely to be his one and only season of college ball.

“It is more important. No doubt,” his father said when asked about the importance of RJ having the ball in his hands. “When we get to college, it’s to win a national championship first. But we’re not going to stop his growth or his development. We’re not going to put him at the ‘3’ when we know he’s a ‘1’ … That’s fact. We’re not going to go there and not have the ball in our hands.”

Rod Hampton acknowledged Saturday that there’s a better than 50/50 chance his son reclassifies to 2019 this summer, a decision that’s expected to be made final in late July.

Duke recently found out that point guard Tre Jones would be returning for a sophomore season, and he’ll almost certainly have the ball in his hands for 30-plus minutes a game next season. That likely rules out the Blue Devils, whose interest in Hampton waned with Jones’ return anyway.

Next season’s roster outlook at Kansas and Memphis appears more suited for Hampton to come in and play on the ball.

KU was the first blue-blood program to extend a scholarship offer, and — while the Jayhawks are likely to have a returnee at point guard — Hampton would be a major part of the offense next season.

Memphis has no one like Hampton at the “1” spot, and the Tigers should have plenty of talent at other positions, starting with five-star big man James Wiseman. “You got the No. 1 player in the country, James Wiseman, going there. What point guard wouldn’t want to play with the best center in the country?” Hampton said.

Kentucky, of course, has point guards Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley returning, plus the arrival of five-star point guard recruit Tyrese Maxey.

Quickley played primarily off the ball this past season, and Maxey, who has been recruiting Hampton, has spoken of his willingness to play such a role next season, though both will get opportunities to run the point. Hagans, the starting point guard this past season, is expected to get most of the time at the position during his sophomore campaign.

Still, Hampton, who averaged 32 points and 6.4 assists per game as a junior, sees room for himself in UK’s backcourt. So does Calipari, who has been actively recruiting the 18-year-old on the idea of playing for the Wildcats next season despite his abundance of point guard talent.

“I think I would fit well,” Hampton said. “Coach Cal tells me, ‘Whoever can shoot the best is going to shoot the ball. Whoever can dribble the best is going to dribble the ball.’ I’m confident in my game. … That’s how Coach Cal has always been with Kentucky: ‘Best player gets to play.’

“I can play with anybody. I can be a ‘2’. I can be a ‘1’. If you need me to play defense for five possessions, I can do that. If you need me to pass for five possessions, I can do that. It’s a team sport. And whenever you’re playing a team sport and you’re winning, players get recognized, too. … I’m not scared off by anybody that’s there.”

After Hampton’s father laid out what they were looking for at the next level, a reporter posited that it sounded like Kansas or Memphis would be the more attractive destination, based on more available minutes at the point guard spot.

“You’re reading that exactly right,” Rod Hampton replied, before adding a caveat.

“But, again, Cal knows how to work his magic. And (RJ’s) not running away from competition, because everyone wants competition. But he has a résumé. He’s a point guard at the next level. And when you start that, you start that now.”

This story was originally published April 27, 2019 at 3:46 PM.