Signing week surprise: Devin Askew reclassifies, signs with Kentucky for next season
Kentucky hasn’t landed any new commitments so far in this early signing period, but John Calipari’s program did get a bit of a surprise Friday morning.
Five-star point guard Devin Askew, who committed to UK last month, officially signed with the Wildcats and finalized his move to the 2020 class. Until now, Askew was part of the 2021 class, and — while he was widely expected to ultimately make the jump to 2020 — that reclassification decision was not expected to happen until the spring.
Askew’s decision is a major boon for Kentucky’s recruiting class, which will now be ranked No. 1 nationally going into the final days of the early signing period, which ends Wednesday.
UK already had 2020 commitments from five-star shooting guards Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke, four-star wing Cam’Ron Fletcher, and four-star power forward Lance Ware. As of Friday morning, all of those players had signed with Kentucky except for Boston, and his official paperwork is expected soon.
Askew’s reclassification pushed Kentucky past Duke and North Carolina and into the No. 1 spot in the 247Sports team rankings. Going into Friday, he was considered to be the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
The 6-foot-3 Askew averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game during Nike play this past spring and summer. He has a 6-7 wingspan, a reputation as a solid defender, and he thrived as a three-point shooter, making 46.2 percent of his outside shots in the Nike regular season.
“I think the biggest value Devin brings is his ability to make shots,” 247Sports national analyst Evan Daniels told the Herald-Leader. “He’s got good size for the position. I think he’s more of a true combo guard than a true point, but he is skilled. And the kid can really shoot the basketball. And that’s extremely valuable, especially in today’s game. I can’t remember Kentucky having a primary ball handler that could shoot the ball like him in a little bit.”
Kentucky is also still in the mix for five-star forward Isaiah Jackson, who is expected to choose either UK or Alabama at a signing ceremony at his Detroit-area high school Saturday afternoon.
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 10:18 AM.
