Trey Lyles, a five-star power forward from Indianapolis (IN) Arsenal Tech, committed to the Kentucky Wildcats today. Lyles had previously committed to the Indiana Hoosiers, but decommitted in fall 2012. Soon after, Lyles received an offer from Kentucky and had kept the Wildcats amongst his favorites all along.
Lyles picked the Wildcats over the Louisville Cardinals. He had previously cut two other finalists, the Florida Gators and Butler Bulldogs, from his list. Lyles took official visits only to Kentucky and Louisville, with the former coming during Big Blue Madness in mid-October.
The 6' 9" forward can be promisingly labeled a "stretch 4," a coveted position in today's "spread the D" style of play. Lyles has the capability to play both in the post and on the perimeter, with the ability to knock down a mid-range jumper and force the defense to guard him on the wing. Ideally, Lyles will follow in the footsteps of past power forwards like Patrick Patterson and Terrence Jones, both guys who developed strong perimeter skills during their time in Lexington.
With Lyles on-board, the Wildcats have commitments in the 2014 class at every position but small forward. Lyles joins center Karl Towns, shooting guard Devin Booker, and point guard Tyler Ulis in the class. With a lot of attrition expected following the 2013-14 season, Kentucky head coach John Calipari is looking to reload another roster. Aside from small forward, it wouldn't be surprising to see Calipari target another guard and/or big man, depending on how he wants to fill up next year's roster.
Welcome to Big Blue Nation, Trey!