Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: As Expected, 2014 PG Emmanuel Mudiay Possesses UK Offer

There were some people questioning whether or not five-star 2014 point guard Emmanuel Mudiay (Grace Prep / Arlington, TX) had an offer from Kentucky. Those doubts were only enhanced when fellow five-star point guard Tyus Jones (Apple Valley / Apple Valley, MN) confirmed his UK offer last month. If you favored Mudiay, you can now cast your fears aside.

According to Chris Fisher of The Cats Pause ($), Mudiay confirmed that he received an offer from Kentucky head coach John Calipari back before the recruiting "quiet period" in July. Mudiay has long expressed his affinity for Kentucky, going so far as to call Kentucky a "favorite" to various reporters. As for why, the reason is simple.

"It's just a blessing to be recruited by a coach like that who has put a lot of players in the NBA," Mudiay said. "I like the pace they play at. That fits me."

With two point guards on Kentucky's 2014 big board now possessing offers--and a third, JaQuan Lyle (Bosse / Evansville, IN), also in the mix--it's fun to speculate which floor general may end up pulling the trigger for Kentucky. Which one is better? Jones outranks Mudiay on almost all the top 100 lists, but it's close. Scout's recent update, for example, just ranked Jones #2 overall, with Mudiay trailing all the way back at...#3.

In fact, comparing Jones to Mudiay is similar to comparing apples to oranges. Jones is hailed as an elite pass-first point guard, frequently compared to dishing luminaries like Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving. Mudiay, meanwhile, is considering more of a scoring "combo" guard. Think Brandon Knight or this year's top point guard target, Andrew Harrison. Either player would look great in Kentucky blue, but would go about his business with a differing flair.

The usual disclaimer applies: 2014 is a long way away. There are miles to go in the recruitment of both players, and national and area powerhouse schools alike will be in hot pursuit along with Kentucky.