Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Preview: Jamal Murray

#23 Jamal Murray

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 207 lbs

High School: Athlete Institute

Star Ranking: 5* on ESPN, Rivals and 24/7 Sports

Position: Combo Guard

Twitter: @BeMore27

After weeks of watching top-notch recruits opt to pick other schools to play for, the Big Blue Nation went into a frenzy as Jamal Murray chose the Kentucky Wildcats over the Oregon Ducks in a dramatic announcement.

While the class was good without him, Murray added an extra dimension on offense that was previously missing. He's had a bit of a strange journey to Kentucky as he went from an almost anonymous player to a must have for John Calipari in a matter of days. Then, he became a star in the college basketball world thanks to his heroic efforts for Canada in the Pan-Am games this summer.

Jamal Murray, who is 8+ years younger than the average Pan Am player, has been simply sensational for Canada #BBN pic.twitter.com/jKAkZ3p9oA

— Synergy Sports Tech (@SynergySST) July 25, 2015

And then there were worries that he would not arrive to Kentucky in time to officially join the team due to Team Canada wanting him on their FIBA roster, but the University of Kentucky held firm in their academic standards and now Murray is on campus with his teammates prepping for the upcoming season.

2015/2016 Outlook: With the addition of Murray, the offensive game plan for Kentucky changed dramatically. Murray is going be on the floor as a starter from day one, his skill set is too valuable. He can shoot from the perimeter, he can drive and score, and he gets to the free throw line at a high clip. He also possesses the skills and court vision of a point guard. The Kentucky Wildcats will likely go with a combination of Murray, Tyler Ulis, and Isaiah Briscoe in a three guard line-up. He can pass as well as he can score.

In that three guard line-up, I can see as Murray being for of a wing/small forward, a truly "positionless player". Murray also brings guts to the table as he single-handily propelled Team Canada into the gold medal game of the Pan Am games with some amazing fourth quarter and overtime heroics.

It would not shock me at all if Murray leads the team in scoring this season. Playing off of players such as Ulis and Briscoe should enhance his offensive production. I think he's going to be special, folks.

Jamal Murray Nike Hoops Summit Game Highlights

Jamal Murray Offensive 2015 Pan-American Games Highlights