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This isn't 2022 but rather '23, but Kentucky has long been in contact with Cyr Malonga. My son played an AAU event with him last summer. He says he's very raw but huge and has some skill. Also says he's a great person and hilarious. (At the time the kid spoke little English.) My son loves to tell about throwing an alley oop to Malonga and he missed the dunk. I hope he plays for UK just so I can hear that story every time Cyr dunks the ball.
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He was the coach of the team my son was on for a short time. I didn't really know what I was getting into (though I'd heard of Bender) and was told there'd be a local team and a national team. Obviously I knew my son (6'0" center) would not be on any national team playing in the Under Armour circuit; I thought he'd play on the local team, get in a few tournaments in Bowling Green and Lexington and Louisville (as promised), and that would be a good summer. A parent asked at the parents-only meeting about whether there would be more boys than at the try-out make the team (there were about 15 at the try-out, about right for two teams). Bender and his partner quickly said, "No, absolutely not." Flash forward to the beginning of the AAU season: there are tons of boys at the first run. Boys from all over. African kids. Kids who likely don't play high school ball. Friends of the other players. They're everywhere. This after I had paid the entry fee (hundreds of dollars) to be on the team.
Obviously we pulled out of that with a quickness. I never asked Bender for my money back because I knew I'd get nowhere. And if my son's high school coach hadn't have been involved I would have never done it. (He, too, eventually pulled out.) But it was a mess and I quickly saw Bender only wanted to find talent, showcase it at these events, put those kids on social media, and see if he could build a brand on the back of mostly 13 and 14 year old kids. The basketball part was really not even part of the whole deal.Comment
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Also, Bender as of four days ago was the athletic director of a school called Evangel Christian that has poached a few talented Louisville players from schools like Male. Just this week he was removed by the KHSAA for recruiting violations in football.Comment
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When Bender played at Ballard, his Dad Vic was his coach instead of Renner. I saw him raise up from a timeout huddle and look to Vic for instructions.John 3:3
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Just a lil update 🙂
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^ Great news. Bona is obviously a must-get. If Cason Wallace is in the bag like KSR keeps saying then that will essentially be the 2022 recruiting class wrapped up in a bow before Christmas. Pretty different situation for Kentucky to be in as compared to the last three or four years.Comment
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Am I not paying attention, or are we after a lot of 6'4" guards and Bona? I know we have some size coming back, but it looks like a log jam at guard.Comment
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Livingston is a 6’7 SF/small-ball four. Sharpe’s 6’5†or 6’6â€, I believe. Cason’s 6’4†and Skyy is 6’3â€, with Bona coming in at 6’10â€. Add some returnees from this year’s group and you’ve got plenty of diversity to run the four out/one in lineups Cal says he wants to play.Comment
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None of the guys I mentioned above will be here until next year, though, and Allen might be the only returnee from your list. Oscar’s still an unknown IMO and could come back (doubtful); same could be said for Collins, but his size and potential will probably get him drafted.
It’s likely that Toppin and Ware will be our only returning bigs (Toppin’s no certainty either, though), in which case we really need Bona and will go big game hunting in the transfer portal.Comment
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