National recruiting analyst answers five questions on future of Kentucky basketball
Last week’s early signing period for college basketball ended with Kentucky sitting atop the national recruiting rankings following a couple of pleasant surprises for the Wildcats.
Devin Askew’s reclassification and Isaiah Jackson’s commitment gave UK a total of six early signees — a record high in John Calipari’s decade-plus with the program — and the Cats might have an insurmountable lead in the race for the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.
There still appears to be some work to be done, however.
The annual roster turnover in Lexington means Calipari might need more additions for his 2020 class, and three such players — Greg Brown, Jonathan Kuminga and Cliff Omoruyi — are still seen as major Kentucky targets going into the winter.
Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans spoke to the Herald-Leader this week about those three prospects — as well as Askew and Jackson — answering questions specific to each recruit and how they might fit in next season at Kentucky.
Isaiah Jackson
The 6-foot-9 power forward from Detroit was UK’s lone commitment in the early signing period, a five-star prospect that should give the Wildcats immediate help on defense next season. Evans called him “one of the most versatile defenders I’ve covered in the past five years.”
How important for this class was Jackson’s decision to commit to the Cats?
“The fit and the system and what Isaiah does — I don’t care what he can do offensively — defensively, he’s going to be a major issue for opponents,” Evans said. “Just because he can defend, arguably, every spot on the floor. His second leap, third leap is Shawn Marion-esque. I think his instincts are out of this world. And I think he plays the game the right way.”
Greg Brown
Jackson joined four-star power forward Lance Ware — billed as more of an offensive-minded prospect — as the second frontcourt player in UK’s 2020 class, and the Cats are still in the mix for Brown, another 6-9 recruit and a top-10 overall player in the country.
Brown has narrowed his list to UK, Auburn, Memphis, North Carolina and Texas, his hometown school. Evans has made it clear recently that he would handicap the Longhorns as the favorite, with Memphis and Kentucky — likely in that order — coming next on Brown’s list.
Will Jackson’s addition negatively impact UK’s pursuit of Brown in any way?
“I didn’t give Kentucky much of a chance originally, so I haven’t really thought about it a whole lot,” Evans said. “But it’s not going to affect Cal when it comes to recruiting. Cal is always about loading up, and if one guy can do it then it’s the best salesman in the game, and that’s Calipari. So he could find a way to do it. And with guys like Isaiah and Greg, they can play so many different positions. It’s not like they’re both one-position ballplayers. They could play the ‘3’ through even the ‘5’. Greg Brown could be the ultimate ‘5’ man in the NBA at some times. You just never know (what effect Jackson’s commitment will have), but I wouldn’t put too much into it.”
Devin Askew
Following Askew’s announcement that he was reclassifying from 2021 to 2020, he was installed as the No. 22 overall recruit in the Rivals.com rankings for his new class, and the No. 6 point guard prospect in the 2020 group. That puts him in five-star range, but it’s a little lower than most of Calipari’s other point guard signees at Kentucky.
With Ashton Hagans and Tyrese Maxey projected as NBA Draft picks next year, Askew could be the Wildcats’ primary point guard a season from now, leading a team that will include five-star shooting guards Brandon “BJ” Boston and Terrence Clarke, as well as other possible perimeter returnees such as Immanuel Quickley, Johnny Juzang, Keion Brooks and Dontaie Allen.
Is Askew ready to handle the role and pressure of being UK’s top point guard?
“Devin might be the highest-floor player coming into Kentucky next year,” Evans said. “His ceiling is not BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke. But I think he might be the most consistent. He’s been one of the most consistent guys I’ve covered in the 2020 class. His game is built squarely on competing. He’s someone who’s going to take care of the basketball. And he’s going to make everyone around him better. And he’s going to defend and kind of be a coach on the floor. His intensity wears off on everyone around him.
“He’s the kind of guy that every program in America would love to have. He might not be the prospect or the rare talent that Cade Cunningham is, but Kentucky fans have to realize: this kid is pretty special in his own right.”
Jonathan Kuminga
He’s currently the No. 1 player in the 2021 class, but Kuminga — a 6-8 forward from Congo — has been rumored to be a reclassification candidate to 2020, and he’d be one of the best players in that class — possibly the best — if he does indeed make the jump.
Kentucky is one of the schools heavily recruiting him. John Calipari has made multiple trips to Kuminga’s high school in New Jersey — also Nick Richards’ alma mater — to see him this fall.
Will Kuminga ultimately move to the 2020 class?
“I believe he does,” Evans said. “He definitely should, because he’s that good. He’s a pretty special player. He has (good size) for a small forward and can really put the ball through the basket. He’s a perfect guy for today’s game. You always put a value on two-way guys — that’s why Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are so valuable in today’s NBA — and that’s what he is to the high school game.
“But I think that recruitment is going to be a fluid one. And it’s nowhere near being done, when it comes to reclassifying or committing. I could see him — if he does reclassify — play things out this summer. Or even play on the (Nike) EYBL circuit. Kind of pull a (Marvin) Bagley. So, I don’t think any decision is being made anytime soon.”
(Bagley played Nike ball in the summer of 2017, then reclassified and committed to Duke a few weeks after that season ended and played for the Blue Devils in the 2017-18 season).
Cliff Omoruyi
Other than Brown, the only prospect currently in the 2020 class to hold a UK scholarship offer is Omoruyi, a 6-11 center from Nigeria, now playing for the New Jersey alma mater of Kahlil Whitney and Isaiah Briscoe.
Omoruyi, who is still looking at eight schools, has the reputation as a bruising frontcourt player, which is basically the only thing this Kentucky recruiting class lacks. He’s also ranked No. 55 nationally by Rivals.com, relatively lower than most Calipari recruits in the past.
Given that ranking, what can be expected of Omoruyi as a college freshman if he were to pick a place like Kentucky?
“I’m a little higher on Cliff than some others,” Evans said. “I went to an open gym of his in September, and his progression is night and day compared to where he was back in June/July. So, I’m on the Cliff train, for sure. I think he’s a pretty special prospect. He showed a lot of things from a skill perspective that I never saw from him. Now, that being reflected on a college playing floor is different. I remember Nick Richards doing some things in high school and at some camps, and I was wowed. And then we didn’t see him do that again in college.
“Honestly, he might be No. 55 in America, but for fit and need and what he does, he’s like a top-five player for Kentucky. Just because he’s exactly what they don’t have in the 2020 class. He’s the definition of a rim-protector, rebounder — he’s 6-10, 6-11 with a 7-5 wingspan — and he’s chiseled and has a college-ready NBA body. He plays like Montrezl Harrell — his motor is through the roof. He doesn’t care about his offensive exploits. Even though he can shoot it a little bit, has good hands, good instincts, good reflexes. We keep hearing about how Kentucky doesn’t have a guy that will just bring some toughness, and that’s exactly what he does best.”
Next game
UAB at No. 9 Kentucky
7 p.m. Friday (SEC Network)
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 7:34 AM.
