Very positive Vernon Carey update for Kentucky Wildcats

Five-star power forward Vernon Carey has seemed to be trending toward the Duke Blue Devils for a little while now, while the Miami Hurricanes also looked to be in a good spot.

However, Kentucky may be in much better shape than anyone realized.

Kentucky has been going hard after Carey this year, even visiting him twice when the April recruiting period began. They’ve been watching his games constantly over the summer while remaining in consistent contact, and it seems like all that hard work is paying off.

Kentucky Sports Radio’s TJ Walker said Monday that he has reason to believe Kentucky is the favorite for Carey.

Folks, I think UK leads. There’s a quiet confidence from folks close to UK about Carey and I’m starting to hear whispers from AAU folks that think the Cats have moved to the front of his recruitment. There’s not much of an obvious relationship between Carey and Whitney, but during basketball camps over the weekend the two spent a good chunk of their free time together. Whitney has already started recruiting on UK’s behalf, and while that’s generally overblown, it doesn’t hurt.

Walker has also heard that Duke currently takes a backseat to Miami for the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native, which may actually jive with what’s been going on in the 247 Sports Crystal Ball.

Lately, Duke has been getting a lot of picks for five-star big man Armando Bacot while also being the favorite for Isaiah Stewart. That’s two elite big men that Duke is seemingly favored for, so it’s hard to see them getting Carey if they land Stewart and Bacot.

Carey is the No. 2 player and No. 1 power forward in the class of 2019 on the 247 Sports Composite ratings. Rivals has him at No. 1 overall. He’s 6-10, 275 pounds, and has to be the most physical big in the 2019 class.

Duke currently leads in his crystal ball, receiving 54 percent of the predictions. Miami and Michigan State are close behind, though the Spartans haven’t gotten much, if any buzz in this recruitment recently.

This may very well come down to Kentucky vs Miami, which sounds like a great matchup for the Wildcats. However, Carey’s father, Vernon Carey Sr., is a Miami legend, and the allure of staying him and following in dad’s footsteps is why it won’t be a surprise if Miami does land arguably the best player in 2019.

Be sure to read Walker’s full piece, which also includes a promising update on Oscar Tshiebwe.

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