Five-star forward Scottie Barnes was the first player in the class of 2020 to land a scholarship offer from the Kentucky Wildcats.
However, the interest between both sides seemed to die down over the summer, especially after KSR reported that Kentucky was falling out of the mix.
“He’s not gonna be at UK,” one source told KSR. “I don’t think he’s even that serious about them.”
Apparently, something has changed in a big way recently, as Kentucky is now emerging as a threat for the top-10 recruit.
In an interview with the Herald-Leader, Rivals analyst Corey Evans said the Wildcats are becoming a real contender to land Barnes.
“They really are a legitimate suitor for him,” said Evans, who added that Kentucky will likely host him for a visit toward the end of October.
Evans sat down with the talented wing this past week and said Barnes, who is ranked as the No. 9 player in the class via Rivals, was raving about Kentucky.
Barnes has already taken official visits to Florida State and Oregon. The Ducks have been the presumed favorites to land the Florida native for quite some time and have been the crystal ball pick for quite some time.
However, Evans just changed his prediction from Oregon to Florida State, so it seems the Seminoles as now a real threat as well. Even so, it’s good news for Kentucky that Barnes is no longer the done deal to Oregon that people were starting to believe.
Evans said he expects Barnes to take few more official visits, one being to Kentucky, and the other being Miami, and then make a decision by the end of the fall signing period. It certainly sounds like Kentucky is in a much better position to land Barnes now than they have been previously.
Also of note; Barnes is teammates with fellow Kentucky target Cade Cunningham. Just an FYI.
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