Class of 2021 - General Discussion

[Joneslab]

I thought I'd start a thread on 2021, because not only is it a bizarre year generally it's been a very odd start for John Calipari and his staff on the recruiting trail.

As everyone has noticed, nothing has happened for UK yet. Corey Evans says in the below piece that UK has only three offers out (!), with its best chance probably being Jalen Hardy--and even that is up in the air. I sort of thought Bryce Hopkins would be first but it appears that UK has not officially offered yet.

I said this in another thread but I've thought for the last four/five years that UK has been handing out WAY too few offers. We shrink the field down to where we basically can't miss, and if we do we have to scramble--which we've been doing pretty much every year recently. Just a very odd way to recruit because it seems to be intentionally playing with fire.

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals....-2021-commits-

[Joneslab]

On cue, Kentucky hands out two offers yesterday. One to Bryce Hopkins (expected) and the other to Hunter Sallis, a point guard from Omaha.

Sallis is a highly intriguing player but I wonder if UK jumped in late. I read a couple weeks back that they think he could be a top five player by the end.*

* The rankings this year are going to be all jacked up. There will be almost no way to rank the 2021 class--or the '22 class--accurately.

https://www.courier-journal.com/stor...is/3418832001/

[Joneslab]

Another name on the radar: Nolan Hickman. Four-star point guard out of Utah.

https://kentuckysportsradio.com/main...ward-kentucky/

[Joneslab]

Generally the trend is that Calipari likes to get on the board with a lower-ranked player as he cultivates relationships with the trickier, more elite players.

This is why I expect Hopkins and/or Hickman to commit first.

[George]

Maybe we’ll luck up and get a second year out of Askew (assuming he’s any good).

[Joneslab]

Maybe we’ll luck up and get a second year out of Askew (assuming he’s any good).

#1 point guard in the 2021 class at one point. I'd say he's pretty good.

Question will be how good can he be as a 2020 recruit.

[George]

Nolan Hickman has committed to UK.

[George]

#1 point guard in the 2021 class at one point. I'd say he's pretty good.

Question will be how good can he be as a 2020 recruit.

Kahlil Whitney was #1 at his position, too.

[Joneslab]

Kahlil Whitney was #1 at his position, too.

As was John Wall. So what?

[George]

As was John Wall. So what?

So I’m not going to assume Askew is an automatic stud just because of his ranking.

[JFCats22]

https://twitter.com/kyletucker_ath/status/1297311589423550465?s=21

[Joneslab]

So I’m not going to assume Askew is an automatic stud just because of his ranking.

Nor an automatic bust.

Kentucky has done a pretty good job the last decade at pulling in players who play at or above their rankings. I can only think of a handful--Whitney, Skal, Quade Green, Ryan Harrow--who were busts. Most of the time the players are pretty much nailed by the ranking or pleasant surprises (Booker, Ulis, Shai).

The problem Kentucky has run into obviously is getting players who are beginning to bloom into their ranking...and then they leave. Askew turned 18 less than a month ago. That's not super-young but it is young. You wonder if he might be the sort of player who is just coming into his own by this time next summer. The way the roster is turned over we almost have to have them be studs from day one.

I do like his size a lot.

* Edited to include Shai in the pleasant surprises category. Can't believe I forgot him.

[Joneslab]

https://twitter.com/kyletucker_ath/s...423550465?s=21

Interesting.

One of the more enigmatic signees of the Cal era.

[Joneslab]

A lot of Kentucky stuff here from Corey Evans, who remains pretty dang high on the Cats for 2021. He talks at length about UK's options, including a long explainer about Jalen Hardy--who the Cats are unquestionably in the lead for (right now).

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals....nsas-tennessee

[lilproUK98]

Don't expect BHH to include UK in his final 6. After UK was the presumed lock, the relationship has soured with him and the staff. I know it sounds somewhat lame, but this is more UK moving away that BHH