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John Calipari is continuing to expand his summer recruiting effort, and is now showing interest in five-star center Armando Bacot and four-star center Oscar Tshiebwe.
Bacot told Rivals that he has a top 10 list, but that Kentucky may be throwing its hat into the ring.
“I have my top 10, but Kentucky has been reaching out and Georgia is another school that has been talking to me a lot,” Bacot said, according to Dan McDonald of Rivals.
Bacot added, “I’ve been talking to Joel Justus a lot, the assistant coach. I’m pretty sure Coach (John) Calipari will be reaching out soon. They just want to see me play hard and they like what I’m doing.”
Bacot is ranked the No. 26 player and the No. 7 center in the class of 2019 by 247 Sports. He currently has 37 offers, three of which come from SEC schools: Georgia, LSU and Tennessee. North Carolina is the favorite in his crystal ball, as 13 predictions have been logged, all for the Tar Heels.
At 6-10, 235 pounds, Bacot has length, athleticism and a ferocious dunking ability. Kentucky began showing more interest in Bacot following his big showing at the Peach Jam. Last fall, Bacot actually expressed his desire to visit Kentucky at some point.
As for Tshiebwe, Kentucky is just starting to get into the mix for him, according to Corey Evans of Rivals. Here’s what Evans said:
Oscar Tshiebwe was a man among boys in California, looking to tear the rim down at any chance, providing stout defense as a rim protector and remaining a vacuum on the glass. His offensive skill set is coming along nicely as Tshiebwe has begun to implement a face-up jumper into his arsenal, but his best will always remain in the paint. He sports a well-chiseled physique and an angry playing style that is reflected by his consistent double-double production. No one was more dominant than the big man from Congo. West Virginia and Kansas sit as the two programs to beat, though Kentucky has begun to express interest.
Tshiebwe is a four-star prospect on both Rivals and 247 Sports. He’s ranked the No. 57 recruit and the No. 13 center in the class of 2019 by 247. Tshiebwe stands 6-9, 230 pounds.
Tshiebwe isn’t extremely tall for a center, but he more than makes up for it with his strength and athleticism. He finishes at the rim like a much smaller player, but is still a force to be reckoned with down low on offense and defense. He also recently took James Wiseman to task.
#WVU made 2019 big Oscar Tshiebwe a priority early. First to offer two years ago this week. Today, he dropped 24 pts, 13 rebs, 3 blks on 5*, No. 1 C James Wiseman, while also holding him to 4-of-13 shooting and 4 TOs. Rest of the country continues to follow #WVU on this one.
— Chris Anderson (@CMAnderson247) July 20, 2018
Oscar Tshiebwe is as tough as they come. He's giving James Wiseman all he wants & more. Physical specimen. He's all over the glass, contesting shots & dunking everything.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) July 20, 2018
Tshiebwe currently has 14 offers. Kentucky isn’t on that list, but Ole Miss is. West Virginia, the current favorite in Tshiebwe’s crystal ball, is also on that list.
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