Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: Enes Kanter [Turkey] Commits to UK

corrals Knight (which I think he will) and Leslie (not so sure), and retains Bledsoe (which I think he will) and Orton (I definitely think he will) then UK should be loaded again next year:

PG – Knight, 2-G – Bledsoe, SW – Miller, SW – Dodson, SW – Poole, C – Orton, SW – Hood, F -Leslie, 3 -Liggins, 4/5 – Kanter, 3/4 – Harralson.

My gut feeling is that we have an excellent shot at all 3. Kanter kinda surprised me, I didnt think he was all that interested in UK.

he’s knocking on the lottery. and before you say its crazy, other than cousins, tell be another true 5 you would take ahead of him…

Kanter has been on the scene for a while, but he’s from Switzerland, and he’s been playing in Turdey prior to arriving in the US. He’s a projected top-15 NBA Draft choice, and turned down millions of $$‘s to play college ball in the US. His father is a Dr./professor, so I don’t think getting the bucks now is a top priority.

then bigs and forwards (PPat). Next he’ll move on to best developer of coaches, water boys and hot dog vendors. I wouldn’t try to put anything past him. And it hasn’t even been a year yet; we’re going to need a holiday commemorating Coach Cal’s hire date. ’-)

and I wouldn’t mind seeing some more of that just to help Orton make a decision to stay. Being a UK fan it’s hard to not be selfish in wanting the best for my team, but like many of you, I think it would help Orton in the long run. If he didn’t like sitting the bench this year, he’d be sitting a lot more next year in the NBA.

i do believe it will play a role. hard to believe the owners and players will get to a point of a lockout, but it would not surprise me.

was sort of thinking (hoping) that it might make more sense at this point to stay around in a program such as uk’s for another year rather than make the jump and then have the season shut down. for some reason, i was thinking the lockout, if it comes, could be this summer or fall. if that is the case, bledsoe and orton would be making a mistake of leaving and then having to sit while things got settled.

It could eeasily affect everyone’s decision considering a jump. The problem though is that the more players that think that, they will crowd each other out. There are only so many first round picks.

I think it could be a major factor. The NBA needs to clean this up pronto and not suffer from self-inflicted wounds like baseball did. A millionaires lockout in the middle of a recession won’t play well, I’d bet.

and given our current crop of potential early departures, it’s something I, and probably most UK fans I would think, will be keeping an eye on in the next few months.

Like memphis mentioned, I also find it hard to believe that the players/agents and owners would get to a lockout point, but if my memory serves the players/agents pretty much ripped up the contract that was proposed a month or so ago, so they may just stand their ground and not give in to Stern, who knows?

I’m not sure about the lockout timing, but like cincy mentions above, the mentality that the college athletes should go this year before the veterans/agents/Stern/owners have a chance to cut the sky-high rookie salaries (which is a hot-topic for this current CBA, as I understand it?) and the thinking that by going now, and if money is their main motivation, the rookies could still get in on a ridiculously high-priced contract might take hold. Get it while the gettin’ is good, if you will?

But, as JackBluto notes (and it’s a very good point, btw) — there are only so many first round/guaranteed money picks available. I know Wall, Cousins and Patterson will have no problem getting in the first round if they so choose, but are Bledsoe and Orton ready to command first round money over some of the others that might be in a rush to declare? At present, I would say no.