Time to turn our attention to recruiting

by Glenn Logan on Mar 24, 2008 1:45 PM EDT in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

Now that basketball has finally ended for Kentucky and we have officially entered that long interregnum between seasons, there is precious little going on in the world of UK basketball. Of course, now is the time when recruiting rumors and talk begin to quickly ramp up, so I thought I would go over what UK's current scholarship situation is.

Right now, we have a total of eleven scholarship players, two of whom will be graduating -- Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley -- which will leave us with nine scholarship players for next year. Adding to that total are the recruits we have signed to letters of intent, which are DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller. Add to that Kevin Galloway, a JUCO transfer who has verbally committed to the Cats. Therefore, assuming nothing changes, we currently have committed 12 scholarships, which leaves room for one more player.

So where does that leave us? Well, here are the players that we are known to have offered a scholarship to who have yet to commit to a school for 2008:

Name	Stars	Ht/Wt	Hometown
Brad Tinsley	4	6'3"/180#	Oregon City, OR
Verdell Jones	3	6'4"/160#	Champaign, IL
Scotty Hopson	5	6'5"/185#	Hopkinsville, KY
Roderick Flemings	0	6'7"/210#	Weatherford, TX
Ater Majok	3	6'10"/220#	Martinsville, VA

~~Now there is a rumor that~~Kentucky is also after a big man who wants to play here by the name of Josh Harrelson who is awaiting release from Western Illinois, with whom he signed an NLOI. That release may never come, because apparently some in the athletics department of WIU think that Harrellson's recruitment was "tampered with," whatever that means, and Harrellson allegedly wanted out because of a family situation. It's all very murky at the moment.

Harrellson would add the coveted "big man" to Kentucky's commitment list. As you can see above, none of those to whom we have offered scholarships are "big men" by any reasonable definition of the term. Harrellson is 6'9", 265#, so he definitely qualifies. He is apparently a late bloomer, but Rivals has him currently as a 3-star.

Of course, then there is Scotty Hopson. The recruitment/non-recruitment of Hopson has been extremely weird, and nobody has any idea what to make of it. I refuse to speculate, because quite frankly, I have no idea what to make of it, either. Perhaps it is similar to Patrick Patterson's situation, but I have no real feel for it. And of course there continue to be rumors that Bud Mackey will walk on at Kentucky if he doesn't wind up in a bright orange uniform with a prisoner number on the back. All of this is totally rampant speculation with very little in the way of real facts to support it, but as we slide into the darkness that is the off-season, I suppose we have to have something to talk about.

As is typical with any school, we have more needs than scholarships available. If, for instance, Harrellson were to suddenly become available and matriculate to Kentucky, we would theoretically no longer have room for Hopson. Of course, this is not a new situation and Tubby Smith always managed to pull something out of his bag of tricks when he was here, and I have no doubt that Gillispie is just as capable in that regard. So for those of you who may worry about a scholarship crunch, I think I would just leave it to the experts. It is also not impossible that one of our current scholarship players may be considering transferring to another school, although I have not heard anything about that. There are also other forms of financial assistance available and so forth. You know the drill.

By looking at who we have, who we have coming in, and who we know are being recruited, it looks to me like we will lack a true point guard. I suppose that Liggins and Jasper can serve, although Jasper has had difficulty in the past dealing with small, quick point guards who play tough defense. Jasper tends to dribble the ball high, and that can be murder against the tiny blurs we have in the SEC. Still, he should be much better as a junior than as a freshman, and seemed to do better this year as a semi-point forward. Perhaps Liggins is even better, who knows, but freshman point guards always cause me sleepless nights. We also could use some help inside, as Perry Stevenson and Patrick Patterson represent our only true inside threats barring some miraculous transformation from Carter and Williams. We'll have to wait and see how all that shakes out.

Still, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming days. Two situations that should resolve themselves before too long are the Hopson and Harrellson situations. Depending on how those go, there are still some interesting possibilities out there, including Brad Tinsley, who is said to be an excellent point guard prospect. Plus, as happens every year, there may be some high-profile transfers from schools after the season is over, or coaching changes that produce releases from LOI's, much as happened last year with Alex Legion. These and other "players to be named later" always seem to find their way onto Kentucky's radar every year, so it should be another fun spring recruiting season.

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Comments

does Jodie Meeks

have the right skill set to play point guard extensively...assuming he is again playing extensively?

by cat woman on Mar 24, 2008 2:00 PM EDT reply actions

No....

Not that he couldn't in a pinch, but next year he need's to take on a huge offensive load, and playing point guard would hurt more than help.

by funkadelic on Mar 24, 2008 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Jasper

Jasper will be fine at point. We were a much better team with him late in the year. I still feel he was shaking off some rust from the time that he missed. With a good off season of practice, I feel his experience will pay dividends. Liggins if he qualifies academically will be a suitable backup with Porter for certain matchups. Meeks and Darius Miller handle the ball well enough to take some of the pressure off Jasper.

by cthom on Mar 24, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions

Miller Is F Not G

Liggins is good enough to start if he qualifies.

by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 24, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I saw this on TCP, and thought

it was worth mentioning here. Here is the roster as it currently stands:

1. Carter - Senior (basketball scholarship) - will probably apply for his medical redshirt after the 2008-09 season and be a 5th year senior on the 2009-10 team

Coury - Junior (walk-on)

Galloway - Junior (basketball scholarship)

Harris - Junior (basketball scholarship)

Jasper - Junior (basketball scholarship)

Krebs - Junior (walk-on)

Meeks - Junior (basketball scholarship)

Perry - Junior (walk-on)

Porter - Junior (basketball scholarship)

Scherbenske - Junior (walk-on)

Stevenson - Junior (basketball scholarship)

Patterson - Sophomore (basketball scholarship)

Stewart - Sophomore (basketball scholarship)

Williams - Sophomore (basketball scholarship)

Liggins - Freshman (basketball scholarship)

Miller - Freshman (basketball scholarship)

Total basketball scholarship players (so far) - 12
Total walk-on players (so far) - 4
Total open basketball scholarships - 1

Now with potentially 10-11 seniors in 2 years (assuming everyone stays) imagine the recruiting coup one would have to do to replace them.

Wow.

by piketaylor on Mar 24, 2008 2:42 PM EDT reply actions

Kentucky's own Fab 5?

Heh. I've always wondered just what exactly were the cirumstances that lead Michigan to start 5 freshmen... I can certainly understand it when I look over those lists.

It's a point I've made here before, and I think you also need to consider that we may have to replace Patterson with that large group if he does stick around for a third year.

by chirop1 on Mar 24, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

If Carter gets a RS year of eligibility...

Do we have a senior day at all next year?

by chirop1 on Mar 24, 2008 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Galloway

Thought I read that Galloway was a point guard, despite being 6'7". In fact, I thought I read he was considered an NBA prospect coming out of high school. That sounds promising regarding the PG situation. Please correct me if I've been misinformed.

by Acdixon on Mar 24, 2008 3:03 PM EDT reply actions

You're right

he led juco in assists with 8.5/game. He's supposed to be very similar to Jasper.

by funkadelic on Mar 24, 2008 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions

He played ...

the "point" for his JUCO team, but I don't think I would characterize him as a true point guard. He is another in the Jasper/Liggins mold.

by Glenn Logan on Mar 24, 2008 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Porter's Team Beat Galloway Regularly In HS

Porter and Modesto Christian beat Galloway and Sacramento HS regularly.

Galloway was a teammate of Duke senior DeMarcus Nelson at Sacramento.

Roughly Top 100 rated HS player, now Top 50 rated JuCo player.

by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 24, 2008 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Point guard

Im not too worried about the point position next season at all. It seems like we are going to have plenty of players are capable of handling the ball and distributing it very well. I have had the chance to see Miller a bit and can handle the ball and really likes to pass it even on a team where the other players arent really in his league. From what I hear about Galloway and Liggins as well I think we will have some great ball movement and team play. My only real concern for next season will be the lack of scoring punch out of the the point guard spot.

Looking at the senior situation 2 years down the road you really only have 5-6 players that must be replaced not the 10-11 that is being thought.

Meeks
Jasper
Galloway
Porter
Stevenson
Harris

All the rest arent getting hardly any minutes at all. I certainly dont consider them as needing to be replaced.

DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!

by davw83 on Mar 24, 2008 3:17 PM EDT reply actions

Mackey

I'm curious what the reasonable heads around here feel about Bud Mackey? I made my feelings known in a thread about a week ago, but this seems like the perfect place to discuss it.

Also, is there any basis to the rumors of him walking on? Or is it just a bunch of talk from people who really have no clue what they're saying?

by chirop1 on Mar 24, 2008 5:42 PM EDT reply actions

Walking

I have no input on whether the walking on thing is rumor or not. If Mackey would walk on, I say take him. The worst that happens is that he messes up and gets kicked off. If he goes a year with no issues, and is as good as some think he is, then give him a scholly.

I'm sure a few of us did questionable things and made questionable decisions (some maybe even illegal) at that age, we just didn't get busted for them. The kid deserves a chance to show he can change.

If we recruited nothing but thugs and kids with questionable backgrounds, it might be a different story, but giving one kid a chance isn't going to bring the program down.

by blbskue on Mar 24, 2008 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Mackey

I don't know if you consider me reasonable, or not, but here goes.

I have read some quotes from his high school coach on Mike Fields' blog, and from those words I gather that Mackey was not a problem child in any way until about a year before his arrest. Hicks stated that Mackey began "running" with a bad crowd, and he told Mackey he needed to break away from that group of people. Evidently, Mackey did not heed his coaches advice.

As much as I dislike the charges in place against him, if he is somehow able to attend college, instead of Lagrange, then I would be open to him playing for UK. But it would have to be a one-strike-and-you're-out scenario.

I will also add that many UK fans will not like him playing for Kentucky. If I were Gillispie I would be ready for a backlash, if Mackey attends UK.

I think considering the kids background, his lack of prior behavioral problems, he deserves a second chance.

Let's remember Gerald Fitch was quite the troubled soul who experienced a problematic childhood, but developed quite nicely into a fine young man. It takes a caring coach, and a strong support system to guide and lead some of the young men who have not been as fortunate as many of us, to have been raised in a loving home with attendant parents.

I think Gillispie would be the perfect mentor and coach for a young man with questionable decision-making skills. Clyde's "tough love" mentality is probably exactly what Mr. Mackey is in need of.

Surely Mackey realizes one gets only so many chances, let's hope if he attends UK, that the young man takes full advantage of the incredible opportunity afforded him.

by Ken Howlett on Mar 24, 2008 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

If Mackey Is Not Guilty

He deserves a scholarship offer.

If he is guilty, he should not be at UK.

That simple 4 me.

by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 24, 2008 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions

IMHO

I have reason to believe that there is more to this story and I don't think he will be at UK.

I think he did have the "substance" in his possession. However, there will be more questions about his ability to make situational decisions when approached by the crowd he was "running with" as any of us would.

He is loved and helped by many in Scott Co. because he is such a great kid and a joy to be around. I think his charge will be amended and he will take a deal. I would not want him doing time for this. The finality of the trial will leave the door open for him to move on. The question then will be academics. If he can get the help he needs to keep his head above water then BCG may be exactly what he needs to become a man and would be a fantastic deed and story. Actually, UK and BCG could be factor in a deal with probation tied to him sticking it out. We aren't talking about major minutes in this kid. Its not at all like we are trolling Blackburn's exercise yard looking for impact players. It would be a great example of public schools and the heart of athletics.

It is all so sad really because he has never hit the wall of the law and then this happens. I have been angry at the lack of news about that "crowd' that focused on Bud.

Good Kid. Bad Mistake. Won't wear blue and white. If he does then I have faith that he has been vetted and I will support him 100%. I worry about the huge spotlight UK can throw and signs and chants on the road if we did try to help this kid grow.

Anyway - all my opinion.

by wilson452 on Mar 25, 2008 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

I hope ...

that the coach makes absolutely sure (as much as he can) that Mackey is able to behave as an asset rather than a criminal. I am all about second chances, but Mackey is accused of a very serious crime.

As a general proposition, I think Kentucky should avoid taking players like Mackey, should he actually be eligible and meet the requirements of admission. But I trust Coach Gillispie and the athletic department to make the right decision there. I trust their due diligence will be peerless.

by Glenn Logan on Mar 24, 2008 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Agree 100%

by Ken Howlett on Mar 24, 2008 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Brad Tinsley

Why does Brad Tinsley look like he is 35?

by blueninja on Mar 24, 2008 5:45 PM EDT reply actions

Well ...

he's only 30 ... :-) Maybe one of those guys who have been overseas on a mission for a few years?

by Glenn Logan on Mar 24, 2008 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Tinsley

Dude had a full beard at age 12.

by Ken Howlett on Mar 25, 2008 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

This-N-That

Josh Harrellson is 6-9 and 270+ originally from St Charles MO.

(Clipped from Hoopmasters)
January 3, 2008

Josh Harrellson, a 6-foot-9, 274 pound freshman center at Southwestern Illinois (IL) CC is getting plenty of recruiting interest. Harrellson signed with Western Illinois in the early signing period last fall, but decided against enrolling.

Western Illinois has yet to release him from his letter of intent, so he may have to spend two years at the junior college level. That has stopped an impressive list of schools from showing interest in him. according to Southwestern head coach Jay Harrington.

"West Virginia...Oklahoma State, Kentucky, DePaul, Rutgers, St. John's, Missouri, Colorado and Mississippi State are also showing interest."

Harrelson is averaging 14.0 points per game this season as he has led #3 ranked Southwestern Illinois to a 12-0 start. The Blue Storm returned from a 21-day layoff Saturday when they face Highland (IL) CC. They defeated Highland 76-72 in the championship game of the 40th annual William R. Bear Classic December 15th in their last game before the break as he finished with 16 points on seven of nine shooting.

Harrellson averaged 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 blocked shots, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game last at St. Charles (MO) High. He shot 58.4% from the field and 68% from the line as he led the Pirates to a 23-8 mark and was named second team All-Metro by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Southwestern Illinois is a talented team with Minnesota signee Devron Bostick and the NJCAA leader in assists Joey Parker, a 6-foot-1 sophomore.

They also had talented freshman such as Kyle Kirk, who was a redshirt freshman at Missouri State last season and 6-foot-7 Chris Hines.

(and)
September 18, 2006

Derek Thomas and his Western Illinois staff have returned to St Louis to add 6-8 Josh Harrelson to their Class of 2007...

Confirmed by Team Excalibur head coach Mark Halsell, 6-8 265-pound Josh Harrelson from St. Charles, MO has made his college decision and will head to Western Illinois next year.

"He really liked the place," Coach Halsell told Hoopmasters. "He liked the team members and the coaches, plus felt he would have the opportunity to contribute right away."

"I've known Coach Thomas for a long time and knew he would be straight with the kids," Coach Halsell continued. "Plus Josh has a chance to be a great player in the Mid-Con league."

Harrelson is a big, strong physical talent with excellent hands, and ability to score in the paint, who can also run the floor and defend you. Look for him to make an impact as a frosh at Western Illinois.

He chose Western Illinois over interest from Eastern Illinois, SE Missouri State, and Northern Colorado.

(plus)
March 3, 2008
All-Great Rivers Conference and Region 24 Teams

MinnesotaGopher basketball signee Devron Bostick has been named Great Rivers Conference and Region 24 Player of the Year. Bostick is averaging 18.2 points per game as he has led NJCAA's No. 16-ranked Southwestern Illinois to a 26-4 mark and a top seed in the region 24 playoffs next week.

All-Great Rivers Conference honors:

Player of the Year

Devron Bostick, 6-5, so. (Southwestern Illinois)

Coach of the Year

Jay Harrington (Southwestern Illinois)

All-Conference

Josh Harrellson, 6-9, fr. (Southwestern Illinois)

All-Region 24 honors:

Player of the Year

Devron Bostick, 6-5, So. (Southwestern Illinois)

All-Region Team

Josh Harrellson, 6-9, fr. (Southwestern Illinois)

Coach of the Year

Jay Harrington (Southwestern Illinois)

by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 24, 2008 7:33 PM EDT reply actions

WE need a scorer..........

Like coach says.......wherever from the floor and no matter the size....we need a go to person who can score from the day he shows up on campus.

by Chuck Alexinis on Mar 24, 2008 10:01 PM EDT reply actions

Trust Coach..............

Coach has more to lose than we have to worry about....he will make decisions based on what he feels is best for the program.....if we take Mackey, then it will be in the best interest of the program. If we have more commitments than scholarships, Coach will find a way. I, for one, thinks that we will have just that problem (I think we get Hopson! Just a gut feeling).....but it will work out. I also think that nobody will transfer with the possible exception of Mike Williams but that is not a certainty either....

Coach has staked his career on this job and he realizes that this is his biggest opportunity to do something very special.....he will take advantage of it and there is an administration in place at UK that is based on integrity and doing things the right way.

Any negative backlash on Mackey will be short..and there won't be any at all if Mackey is cleared...and UK will not take him unless he is completely through his legal issues....so, no worries either way.

Heck, who knows what the next 2 - 3 weeks brings.....let's pop some popcorn and see what happens!

Trust coach....he will get it done.

by Chuck Alexinis on Mar 24, 2008 10:15 PM EDT reply actions

Hopson and Mackey

I feel better and better about the Hopson situation as he continues to put off committing in any sort of way.
And I too think Mackey certainly deserves a chance as a walkon. BCG already showed this year that he will kick a walkon off of the team if he wants to for any reason, UK would have little to lose. If there was backlash, and then Mackey turns out to be a great player and a great kid, think about how silly all of the people that would be complaining might feel at some point over the next 3 years when the CATS are making a serious run at a championship and ESPN does some sentimental story about how BCG gave the kid a chance when few else wanted to. Mackey, if he came here, could turn out to be the best recruit in a class that will/might also contain Liggins, Miller, and Hopson (among others). Just dreaming..... but what if? ....It would be glorious!

by cdnWildcatfan on Mar 24, 2008 11:08 PM EDT reply actions

Here's one Tru...

Take this one to task. I believe that Mr Kretan needs a lesson in manners (and journalism).

"UK far from being among college hoops elite."
by Mark Kriegel of Fox Sports

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7937598/Kentucky-far-from-being-among-college-hoops-elite-

by blueblood on Mar 25, 2008 2:50 AM EDT reply actions

I read that ...

pathetic tripe the other day. It isn't even worthy of a response. Just another Loathsome Troll wannabe.

by Glenn Logan on Mar 25, 2008 7:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Well done

Below is definitely my favorite comment to the Fox Sports story linked above. From poster GET:

"HI Mark,
That was a VERY interesting article. On a similar note, could you please send me a link to the articles on North Carolina after the 2001-2002 seasson [sic]? Also, to the article on Duke after the 1994-1995 season? Oh, while you're at it, could I see the article on UCLA following the 2002-2003 season - or, the two seasons after that? I just can't seem to find them in your archives.

Thanks for the help with that I appreciate it very much. It's always nice to hear from a fair, unbiased journalist.

Gary"

by blbskue on Mar 25, 2008 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Kriegel

Kriegel looks exactly like Kramer, and thinks like him also.

by Ken Howlett on Mar 25, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions

3 Years Doesn't Change 105 Years

UK is 62-37 the past 3 seasons. But from 2000 thru 2008 seasons (with 1 year left in 2K's Decade)...

2000's Rank Team W L %

Duke.261 53 .831
Kansas 251 61 .805
Gonzaga 236 60 .797
Florida 234 73 .762
Illinois 228 81 .738
Connecticut 222 80 .735
Utah St 22172 .754
Syracuse 220 84 .724
Kentucky 218 83 .724
Arizona 215 85 .717

by FortyYearCatFan on Mar 25, 2008 6:10 AM EDT reply actions

Verdell Jones

Does not have an offer from UK according to Marc Maggard.

by Clandestine on Mar 26, 2008 8:42 AM EDT reply actions

Well ...

there are two articles on Rivals that say Jones told the author that he does have an offer from UK. Given the effort that UK seems to be going through to get him to visit, I am inclined to believe he does have an offer.

Nobody is the repository of all knowledge, and when there is a disagreement, you have to choose who to believe. For reasons already mentioned, I am inclined to believe TCP.