Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: McDonald's All-Americans Announced
by jc25 on Feb 9, 2012 5:32 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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PrintThe 2012 McDonald's All-American rosters were announced today on ESPNU. Two of Kentucky's signees, shooting guard Archie Goodwin (Sylvan Hills, AR) and small forward Alex Poythress (Clarksville, TN), made the team. Poythress will represent the East squad in the game, which will be played on March 28 in Chicago, while Goodwin will play for the West. Both were also previously announced as participants in the Jordan Brand Classic, another prestigious high school All-Star game.
The McDonald's All-American game is the longest running and most well-known of the All-Star games, and Kentucky has been well represented in recent years. Last year, all four of Kentucky's current freshmen--Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, and Kyle Wiltjer--played in the game.
Kentucky isn't done recruiting 2012 kids, and could still add another McDonald's All-American or two to its recruiting class. In fact, head coach John Calipari is currently recruiting all five McDonald's players that are currently undecided. Amile Jefferson and Tony Parker, teammates with Poythress on the East team, are two names on Kentucky's radar. From the West, Shabazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett are the two prospects that have been most closely linked with Kentucky. West player Devonta Pollard has also expressed interest in taking an official visit to Kentucky in the near future.
Jefferson has expressed interest in committing shortly, with Duke and NC State rumored to be the two finalists, but the remaining four players likely will remain uncommitted when the game is played. Aside from Jefferson, none of the four seniors have completed taking their official visits. Muhammad took his official to Lexington for Big Blue Madness, while Parker, Bennett, and Pollard all remain candidates for a visit this spring.
One notable name that is missing is Nerlens Noel, who recently reclassified to the 2012 class and took over the #1 overall spot on many 2012 recruiting Top 100 boards. The selection committee for the McDonald's All-American game has notoriously disallowed any fifth-year high school seniors from participating. Noel, who would have been a fifth-year senior next year, is technically now considered a fourth-year senior. However, his reclassification apparently did not take place in time for his inclusion in the game.
For a complete list of game participants, check out the McDonald's All-American game's official website.
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Girls All-American
UK Hoops signee Janee Thompson was also named as a McDonald’s All-American. Awesome!
True on 5th years
John Wall did not get named as McD AA.
JC, ...
Scout.com is saying. "recent information confirms that Shabazz is UCLA’s to lose." UCLA over Kentucky - Ben Howland over Calipari - Really?!? That idea is so surreal!?!
On Bazz
UCLA has always been considered the nominal to huge favorite for Muhammad. I don’t expect that to change until (unless?) he picks another school. I do think Kentucky will be in it until the end, and the Wildcats could still lose out on Muhammad but still close with, say, Bennett and Noel, and have a successful class.
Correction, ...
I meant to post, Cousins was the only ‘freshman’ MickyD on that team. Clearly Patrick Patterson was an McD-AA in 2007.
UK1972, ...
Of course we’ll be ‘OK’ but Cal has set the bar rather high. Just OK isn’t something we’ve come to expect – it depends on who comes back. Rumor has it that Cal is expecting to lose 7 players off this team. That would mean all five starters as well as Miller and Vargas. Without landing more top talent, next year’s team will consist of Wiltjer, Harrow, Goodwin, Poythress, and Cauley with Hood and Polson coming off the bench. I won’t say that team has a Gillispie-esque feel to it,
but it certainly wouldn’t be contending for a return to the final-4, imo.
Forgot Twany
That team would be up to current standards but it would still be top 25 all year. I do see him landing at least one more recruit though.
"Teach him how you will, a pig will never play the flute."-Thom Merrilin
by StLHugo on Feb 10, 2012 10:15 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Cal isn't necessarily wanting to fill out his scholarships
but how many new players will he need next year? Replace Miller, Davis, Jones, Kidd-Gilcrest for sure; Teague, too? Polson coming back next year, Wilt coming on and already commits from Poythress and Goodwin. If he could land Muhammed and Noel would that wrap up recruiting for the year? Position projections?
War is God's way of teaching Americans geography. - Ambrose Bierce
hoboat, ...
A lot depends on who comes back.
Davis – When you’re the No.1 pick you go.
Jones – Jones is still a 1st round pick, maybe a low lottery pick and having already invested a second year in college, he won’t be coming back baring an injury.
MKG – Some are thinking Micheal might come back to work on his jumpshot. Fergitaboutit, even without a jumpshot he will still be a lottery pick, imo … and gone.
Teague – wants to go real, real bad and is coming around developmentally. Despite his coming up short in the eyes of ‘Cat fans compared to Wall/Knight, he’s good enough to go 1st-round, and gone, imo.
Lamb – is a cypher right now. If the draft were held today, I don’t think he’d be picked 1st-round. By April, that may change, a National Championship might certainly float his boat. But even if he isn’t a 1st round pick, he may still be willing to risk a second round selection and go anyway.
Hood, Wiltjer, Harrow, Goodwin, Poythress, and Cauley are the only scholarships currently on the books for sure, leaving 7 rides to be filled. If Lamb and/or Teague come back, that will leave 5 or 6 for Cal to fill.
————————————-
I agree with JC25, imo, if Lamb and/or Teague come back, the log jam in the backcourt would almost certainly prevent Cal from signing Muhammad. Nothing to be done about it but it’s galling to lose him to Ben Howland. If, by the act of a beneficent Big Blue god, we get Muhammad, then I’d expect him to play SF/SG, pushing Poythress to play PF/SF while Wiltjer comes off the bench.
If Cal doesn’t land another frontcourt player, Cauley is the only option at center. If Cal lands Noel, I see Cauley as a Wiltjer-esque type player, multi-year development, coming off the bench next year to spell Noel and Wiltjer at PF. If Cal doesn’t get Noel but gets Bennett or Tony Parker; Cal will go with a double PF set of Bennett/Tony Parker with Wiltjer and again bring Cauley off the bench. If Cal doesn’t get Noel or Bennett/Tony Parker but gets somebody like Amile Jefferson then I would guess Cauley would start at center.
Similarly, if Cal doesn’t land another frontcourt player, Wiltjer will start at PF as the only option because Poythress, replacing MKG, would be the best option at SF by far. I’m not as optimistic about Wiltjer as many on this blog – I don’t think he is a viable replacement next year for anybody on the current team. If Cal gets Noel and another PF prospect then I’d expect Kyle to come off the bench again.
At 6’5", Archy Goodwin is a big SG able to slide either way to the SF or PG which is why Muhammad might still be interested.
Bottomline: We need a least 2 more players – Hopefully Noel and Muhammad but Noel/Bennett or Bennett/Muhammad would be terrific, a third quality player would generate bench strength – A frontcourt player would be my preference.
Thats about in line with my thinking.
Cal has no problem leaving several scholarships unfilled if he has the team he wants. A helluva luxury when you don’t have to keep your roster filled with developmental players.
In football, maybe Saban will ease up on cornering all the talent for this team. Of course, “sure things” are a lot harder to nail down in football than in basketball and injuries are more prevalent.
War is God's way of teaching Americans geography. - Ambrose Bierce
Could Calipari ...
Drop Willis & Causley
For
Noel & Bennett
&
Still Get Muhammad ?
Picture A Line up Of :
PG: Goodwin
SG: Muhammad
SF: Poythress
PF: Bennett / Wiltjer
C: Noel
P
by RIP SEAN TAYLOR 21 on Feb 9, 2012 9:53 PM EST reply actions
Thoughts...
Cauley has already signed. He’s a done deal barring unforeseen circumstances, like Calipari leaving or something traumatic like that.
Willis is class of 2013, so not sure he counts towards your projections.
Goodwin is a shooting guard, and would be better off sliding up to 3 than down to a 1. Either Harrow or Teague gets the starting gig at point next year.
Scholarship-wise, Kentucky could certainly close with Noel, Bennett, and Muhammad. However, playing time will be a consideration for these guys, and I just don’t think they’d be willing to sacrifice that much PT. With 2 McD AA’s and Cauley, who certainly is a good prospect in his own right, already on board for Kentucky, I don’t see the Cats closing with more than 2 more 5*.
Rip, ...
Willis is a 2013 commitment.
Harrow is an excellant option at the 1. Goodwin is a quality scorer at the 2 and comes with an exceptional handle as well to give some relief to Harrow at the point. Getting Noel AND Bennett would still leave us short of where we are this year, imo, but damn good – Short on scoring and no quality depth – top-25, but maybe not top-10. Getting Muhammad would obviously cure both of those problems.
Off topic - Murray goes down to Tennessee St. 68-72
Still going to be an at-large selection – probably a 10-11 seed but if they can beat St. Mary’s maybe an 8-9.
Should still be Conf Champions
So not an at large
"Teach him how you will, a pig will never play the flute."-Thom Merrilin
by StLHugo on Feb 10, 2012 10:20 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Tough loss.
Would have been great for them to go undefeated through the regular season.
War is God's way of teaching Americans geography. - Ambrose Bierce
Thanks Guys
I didnt know willis was 2013 .
And i hope we just come away with noel , I think we get muhammad .
by RIP SEAN TAYLOR 21 on Feb 9, 2012 10:27 PM EST up reply actions
I see Teague coming back next year
and obviously starting, maybe starring. We should get two more 5 stars, hopefully Noel and Mohammed. I don’t see us pulling Bennett if we get those twol. I’d love to see a quicker and more confident Wilt starting at the 4 spot with Poythress playing big minutes. Archie at the 2. That’s a hell of a team. Maybe we’ll get someone else to stick around, but i think both Doron and Jones are destined for the draft. Hopefully we can get some quality minutes from Twany and Hood. Cauley is a project, I don’t see him being an impact guy off the bat. Cal will scoop up a couple more 4 star guys, I’d love to see us get Tony Parker, that dude is a load!
If You Watch Calipari PG'S ...
They dont bloom until the tourney , So with teague getting better as the season go , He is destined to dominate in the tourney in that would be big for him to go into the draft after cutting the nets down .
by RIP SEAN TAYLOR 21 on Feb 9, 2012 10:33 PM EST reply actions
yeah, Bledsoe wasn't impressing me at this point
in the season 2 years ago, but he absolutely went off in the conference and national tournaments. Knight did not play so great during March Madness but hit those clutch shots to win games.
Folks, if we have learned one thing in the last three years it's this.......Cal is gonna get whomever he wants to get.
I would imagine at this point he is trying to decide which ones he wants, not which ones want him.
I am now and shall forever be the Cat in The Hat, The Artist Formerly Known As ABC!!!
by Greg Alan Edwards on Feb 9, 2012 10:54 PM EST reply actions
I'm Glad McD A-A Game Is Here In Chicago Again
Looking forward to seeing the future Cats play.
by FortyYearCatFan on Feb 11, 2012 9:09 AM EST reply actions
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