In the midst of all the Perry Ellis recruiting hubbub, fellow recruit Kyle Anderson committed to UCLA late last evening. Anderson is perhaps the most unique player in the 2012 class, a former elite point guard that experienced a huge growth spurt and now stands at approximately 6' 8".
As a guard/forward hybrid, Anderson still possesses the innate passing and outside scoring ability of a gifted point guard. He had been squarely on Kentucky's radar earlier in his junior season, but Calipari declined to continue recruiting him starting in 2011. The prevailing thought was that Anderson was getting too big, and the Kentucky coaching staff had serious questions about whether he would continue to man the point guard position in college. Further, after the transfer of Ryan Harrow, Kentucky effectively shut down recruiting at point guard.
Regardless of Calipari's opinion, Anderson is a five-star talent. The St. Anthony (Fairview, NJ) product is ranked 4th by Scout, 2nd by Rivals, and 5th by ESPNU. He picked UCLA over Seton Hall, Georgetown, Florida, and St. John's. The Bruins now sport a stout class, as Anderson joins committed top 100 recruits Jordan Adams and Dominic Artis.
How does this affect Kentucky? Well, UCLA is still on the prowl for more 2012 talent. Specifically, Anderson is close with Shabazz Muhammad, widely considered to be the best prospect in the 2012 class. While Kentucky is currently a finalist in Muhammad's recruitment, many recruitniks believe that Muhammad will end up picking UCLA. With Anderson now on board, the Bruins' chances of landing Shabazz may have gotten a little bit higher.
At least, Anderson hopes so. "Bazz has to make his own decision based on what's best for him," Anderson said. "I do hope he comes, though."
