In a bit of a shocker, 2012 PF Anthony Bennett (Findlay Prep / Brampton, Ont.) has cut the Florida Gators from his list of finalists, according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com. Florida had long been considered a finalist, and perhaps prohibitive favorite, to land Bennett. Instead, Bennett will pick from Kentucky, UNLV, and Oregon. He has not set an announcement date.
Anthony Bennett has informed Scout that he is down to Oregon, Kentucky and UNLV. He has eliminated Florida from his list.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielscout) May 4, 2012
Bennett took an unofficial visit to nearby UNLV this week, and that visit appears to have made an impact. It appears that the Running Rebels, which will also add Pittsburgh transfer and former 5* recruit Khem Birch next January, are a legitimate contender for Bennett's signature.
However, with Florida out of the picture, Kentucky looks like the school of choice for Bennett.He last took an unofficial visit to Lexington in November, and also took an official visit to Oregon earlier this spring.
It's not a given that Kentucky lands Bennett, but the odds suddenly got a whole lot better. And of course, having guys like top overall prospect Nerlens Noel in Bennett's ear can't hurt Kentucky's chance. The key for John Calipari now will be to convince Bennett that matriculating to Kentucky will benefit his career. Though Bennett is originally from Canada, he has apparently found the West Coast to his liking, with local school UNLV and Pac-12 schools Oregon and Washington making his final five. Personally, I think Calipari will be very convincing.