2016 Recruit Watch

[Joneslab]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 16s17 seconds ago
After a couple of last minute conversations, I think Marques Bolden is likely to pick Duke...hopefully I end up wrong

[Lighthouse]

Two hours to go.

[UKtimefor9]

It may be that nobody seems to know because Bolden himself may not know. Terrence Jones sat down at the table not knowing which hat he was going to pick, and then he changed his mind even after picking one.

We need to avoid getting too high or too low over this. Bolden is generally considered the number one center in this class, but he is not an Anthony Davis or DeMarcus Cousins or a Karl Townes. The significance is choice is heightened because it is between us and Duke and we'd like to beat Duke in anything. I am not dissing the kid. I would love to have him. But, the importance may be as much symbolic and psychological as it is practical.

I am not sure that Briscoe's decision is not more important to our success next year than is Bolden's.

True, good points.

I think Bolden does fill a need we have. However (for me) I think it's more important to keep him away from Duke. With him, Duke is crazy loaded, like 2015 UK loaded.

Get Bolden and Briscoe returns = UK #1 team in 2016/2017. Miss on both and things suddenly get a little shaky.

[Joneslab]

Briscoe probably is more important, but having that true big body down there would be big for Kentucky.

I think Bolden is going to take some time to develop though. What you like about him when you watch him is that he has unbelievable length, and he's more athletic than he looks. Runs the floor and doesn't plod. Think he would be good for this team because he could get out and run with Fox and Monk, and he has the skill to be a low-post scorer. Good combo on this team.

But if we get him and Briscoe jumps it won't be a net win for UK. I'd rather have one in the hand however today at 2:30.

[SBCatMan]

It may be that nobody seems to know because Bolden himself may not know. Terrence Jones sat down at the table not knowing which hat he was going to pick, and then he changed his mind even after picking one.

We need to avoid getting too high or too low over this. Bolden is generally considered the number one center in this class, but he is not an Anthony Davis or DeMarcus Cousins or a Karl Townes. The significance is choice is heightened because it is between us and Duke and we'd like to beat Duke in anything. I am not dissing the kid. I would love to have him. But, the importance may be as much symbolic and psychological as it is practical.

I am not sure that Briscoe's decision is not more important to our success next year than is Bolden's.

[UKtimefor9]

Seems to be a lot of Duke momentum on other boards and on Twitter. Could be the classic late momentum to one school deal...who knows. Duke people seem very sure that he is coming and UK folks are saying they don't know. May not mean anything.

We shall see...would be rough to lose Matthews and Bolden in two days. Then who knows with Lee and Briscoe.

[Joneslab]

Is the announcement time EST or CST?

He will announce at 2:30 Eastern.

Unless he doesn't, which wouldn't be that surprising really.

[Matt Dillon]

Is the announcement time EST or CST?

[Joneslab]

Just counting up the guesses I've seen around the web:

Drew Franklin still saying Duke.
Matt Jones saying UK but says he has no idea.
Rivals' T.J. Walker and Eric Bossi both picking Duke. Walker says he's been told by three people that it's Duke.
Jerry Meyer saying Duke.
Jeff Goodman guessing that it's UK.
A guy who was once a bona fide insider on UK boards, Dave Kersey, is saying with confidence that it's Kentucky.

I kind of agree with KC that there's a lot of guesswork going on right now and that the Boldens have done a hell of a job of keeping this under wraps.

[Joneslab]

The Jeff Goodman tweet was a fake account.

Nobody knows about this kid. Bottom line.

The fake info was that he was going to Duke. About an hour later the real Goodman tweeted the thing about his gut feeling.

Jeff GoodmanVerified account‏@GoodmanESPN 13h13 hours ago My gut is Kentucky.

[KCKUKFan]

The Jeff Goodman tweet was a fake account.

Nobody knows about this kid. Bottom line.

[George]

Quietest announcement day in the history of WCN.

[George]

^ Then it's definitely Duke.

[Joneslab]

Jeff Goodman says his gut says it's UK.

[Joneslab]

83% isn't very good, actually.

With most players at this level it's pretty obvious what's going to happen. There are some (Jones, Murray) who are mysteries, but most of the time there's a hard lean from the beginning, and then these guys lock those crystal ball picks in.

I would say most of us here, with no info at all, would be picking at about 75% just based on message board scuttlebutt.