A skid for Kentucky recruits will continue, and more UK basketball recruiting links
The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the five finalists for the Naismith high school national player of the year award this week. There were no Kentucky players on that list.
That means that for the 26th year in a row, a Kentucky basketball recruit will not win the coveted honor. The Naismith award has been around since 1987, and Ron Mercer, who won in 1995, is the only future Kentucky Wildcat so far to take home the trophy. The finalists for this year’s award are Duke recruits Kyle Filipowski, Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead, Baylor signee Keyonte George and Arkansas signee Nick Smith Jr. The winner will be announced March 4.
Kentucky signee Cason Wallace was a semifinalist for this year’s Naismith award, and it would seem he has a pretty good case. The 6-foot-4 combo guard has the reputation of a team-first player and is viewed as arguably the nation’s best perimeter defender. Wallace, who is No. 5 in the new Rivals.com rankings for 2022, has led his Richardson (Texas) High School squad to a 30-1 record and the No. 2 spot in the ESPN ranking of the nation’s best high school teams.
There’s a chance the UK skid could end next year, when major Wildcats target DJ Wagner will be one of the favorites for the Naismith honor.
Top Kentucky basketball recruiting links
Star Kentucky target Mookie Cook is visiting Gonzaga this weekend
Major UK target Justin Edwards expected to visit UConn on Saturday
Reed Sheppard had 26 points Friday despite dealing with foul trouble
More on South Carolina hosting the nation’s No. 1 recruit on Saturday
Update on star 2023 recruit Ron Holland, including comments on UK
No. 1 recruit in 2023 class GG Jackson will visit South Carolina this week
Top available recruit in the 2022 class will visit Arkansas this weekend
Memphis offers 2022 guard Hansel Enmanuel, who has only one arm
Top UK target DJ Wagner held to just one point in first half of latest win
Rick Bozich: What’s the next plot twist in Louisville coaching search?
On3.com: Duke’s 2022 recruiting class is the best group since ... when?
Could Duke draw 5-star recruit from West Coast after ‘home run’ visit?
Memphis, North Carolina, Michigan among interesting bubble teams
More Next Cats links: There’s a clear No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 11:45 AM.
