BREAKING: Liggins to commit to UK

by JL Blue on Jun 27, 2007 4:28 PM EDT in Basketball

Internet sources (Rivals.com, KSR) are reporting that 6'5" Chicago George Washington point guard prospect DeAndre Liggins, profiled recently here, has informed several of the other schools recruiting him that he is going to commit to Kentucky.

Liggins says he expects to commit within the next few weeks, but all signs point to this happening. He would be the first 2008 recruit to verbally agree to be a Wildcat. Point guard GJ Vilarino is verbally comitted for the class of 2009, while forward Dakotah Euton is a 2010 commit.

Scout.com's Dave Telep reporting Liggins commitment to Kentucky. Listed as Verbal.

Rivals has the interview update posted (premium).

Hard to read anything into that except good news.

Update [2007-6-27 17:38:9 by Truzenzuzex]:

Both Scout and Rivals have Liggins listed as a verbal to UK. Done deal.

FireBilly.com has picked up the story as well. So has Go Big Blue Cats.

0 recs | Comment 17 comments

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Liggins

Here is the thing about Liggins. A lot of people want Warren and Clarke myself inculded but I am of the opinion that when a 5-star player commits you accept. You can worry about players who havent commited and might not ever because if you say no to Liggnis and miss on W&C you are in deep doo doo.

I feel like UK needs some better shooters a la Clarke and Warren and one of liggins shotcomings is his mid range and perimeter shot.

That said if we end up getting Clarke I would be really happy. If Clarke or Warren commit and this pushes Darius Miller out of the picture becuase we do need at least one big man in this class I really really really done want to hear the BBN gripe about UK missing on another Kentucky kid even if Miller turns out great somewhere else.
Im all for Kentucky kids but the Big blue train is leaving the station and if you dont commit early you wont have a seat on it.

by davw83 on Jun 27, 2007 5:11 PM EDT 0 recs

Yep.

The new method of offering many players and pushing for commits sure beats making your scholarship offers super selectively and then potentially missing on other talented players.

6'5" PGs don't grow on trees.

The Online home of Big Blue Nation ...

by JL Blue on Jun 27, 2007 5:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

Cant

cant

by davw83 on Jun 27, 2007 5:12 PM EDT 0 recs

Saw ...

Liggins play on the vid the other day. Awesome, period.

Great get if true.

by Truzenzuzex on Jun 27, 2007 5:34 PM EDT 0 recs

Both services ...

have the verbal. It is definitely done.

by Truzenzuzex on Jun 27, 2007 5:36 PM EDT 0 recs

PG?

So, his profile on Scout says he's a Wing/Small Forward. Is his natural position at the Point, or is there some bad information out there?

by HowBlue on Jun 27, 2007 5:47 PM EDT 0 recs

He is unique, like Derek Jasper ...

a 6'6" guy who can distribute and shoot the rock. Scout compares him to a "Scotty Pippin point forward". Likely to play the 1 and 3 with our current roster, depending on how DJ pans out.

Got a much better stroke than DJ and doesn't mind putting it up. Good shooter from the elbows, will develop a better 3-point game. Shoots the ball a little to high for my liking, but his passing, handle and speed off the dribble are what gets him the 5-star ranking from Scout.

by Truzenzuzex on Jun 27, 2007 5:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

Dominoes have begun to fall....

I'm not sure that I like BCG's tactics, assuming that he did play one recruit against another, but it does produce results.

Here's hoping that another scholarship manifests itself in an other than unfavorable way.

by blueblood on Jun 27, 2007 5:59 PM EDT 0 recs

I guess I don't understand your comment.

It seems the more logical way to get top rated recruits is offer as many as possible and tell them first come first serve.

I find nothing about that to be unfavorable. In fact, it seems to be much more efficient in producing desirable results.

a perpetual state of bliss

by piketaylor on Jun 27, 2007 6:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

I do see your point....

(see my post on the newer commitment article) and I do understand that if we want a honest character type coach, we should be Golden Gopher fans. I guess what I'm saying is that it seems, on the surface, to be a kind of underhanded way to get a commitment. I also don't know how the offer was presented, BCG could have been perfectly honest and said "I'm going to offer everyone that I would like to have on my team and when the schollies run out the unaccepted offers do too," which would be perfectly acceptable. It's all good as long as everyone knows the rules of the game. I also know that no top tier program does everything "the right way." I just wish it didn't have to be that way.

GO BIG BLUE!!

by bluebloodtoo on Jun 28, 2007 1:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

i understand

where you're coming from, but i don't think there's any reason to think this isn't on the up and up and that Coach Gillispie has been anything less than honest with any of the recruits.

what i like best about this is that the high end status we've grown accustomed to in the past is back. instead of us competing with dUKe, UNC, and Florida over a recruit, we're letting it be known that it's the recruits that will be competing to play for UK. There going to have choose quickly or risk playing for a "lesser" team.

GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!

by UKWildCatFanatic on Jun 28, 2007 10:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

Honesty

As long as you tell the kids the truth about the status of their offer, there is nothing wrong with making multiple offers.

Offer three and take the first one.

Miller can accept or find another school. Same with the rest of the kids. UK should not allow itself to be held hostage by some high school kid.

by Seymour on Jun 27, 2007 6:23 PM EDT 0 recs

I'd have to agree

As long as you're up front I see no problem. In fact, I think bringing the attitude that "we're Kentucky and everyone wants to play for us so you'd better hurry" is the kind of approach you have to take with these kids.

As long he's on the up and up and tells the kids I'm fine with it.

by Logan5 on Jun 27, 2007 7:34 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm with you.....

As long as all of the cards are on the table, I don't have a problem with that at all. There's nothing wrong with a little competition, in fact, it actually builds a good team. You end up with confident, "i CAN do it" players because those are the type that are going to step to the front of the line and take these kind of offers. It's actually a great way to psychologically screen your players and at the same time create the "illusion" of being in demand.

I only say "illusion" because that is what all types of demand are, one person wants something which causes another person to want the same thing, and then another and another and before you know it, that's the hottest thing on the market. And it's just because your kid doesn't want to be the only kid who didn't get a giggling elmo doll for christmas. Any of you remember how long your kids/little siblings actually played with that elmo doll? Bet it didn't keep their interest for a month...

Sorry guys, I'm a little cynical sometimes. I love BCG and what he's doing for UK. I just wish that things didn't have to work this way.

GO BIG BLUE!!

by bluebloodtoo on Jun 28, 2007 1:47 AM EDT up 0 recs

"Didn't have to work this way" ?!!?

How exactly would you like it to work?

I bet when you went to apply for a job, you didn't just apply to one company. The analogy is a little off... but the concept is there. You don't just put in one application and then cross your fingers. Your family is likely to starve if you do that.

I have no problem whatsoever with the way Billy G is going about his business. I'm willing to bet that we won't be sitting around our computers in the coming summers praying for that one important recruit to make us good like we did for Pat Patterson. We'll have people like Patterson or better locked up early and then the Pattersons of the world that want to string us along will be relegated to playing for lesser teams.

Create a demand and stir it up I say. Damn it... we're Kentucky and its still a privilege to put on the blue and white! We're doing them a favor by letting them come play in Rupp... not the other way around.

by chirop1 on Jun 28, 2007 2:56 PM EDT 0 recs

whoa, whoa, whoa....

"I wish it didn't have to work that way," didn't have anything to do with UK. I said that I was very happy with BCG and what he meant for UK. I am pleased with the results and I understand that you have to keep up with the competition. I also said that if all the cards are on the table to the recruits then "All's fair in love and basketball recruiting". My only thought was that BCG was offering people he didn't expect to get just to entice others who were riding the fence. I DON'T HAVE ANY REASON TO THINK THAT BCG IS BEING DISHONEST, I am just a cynical person by nature.

by blueblood on Jun 28, 2007 5:28 PM EDT up 0 recs

ok...

you guys are probably right, I'm probably "a little too far out on the limb." I was surfing the links the other day and came across an article from a Texas journalist that was blasting BCG for leaving for UK. The guy was calling him a liar and attacking his character for holding out on signing the contract extension while hoping for another good job to come open. I guess I put a little too much stock into those "sour grapes" from the TX journalist.

I apologize to any whom I offended.

by blueblood on Jun 29, 2007 3:05 PM EDT up 0 recs