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The Kentucky Wildcats are having perhaps the most successful run ever for the football team. The 2020 basketball class is shaping up very nicely as well. But looking ahead to 2021, it seems John Calipari is already starting to close in on some top recruits.
Over at Rivals.com, Corey Evans was asked in his Wednesday Leftovers column about Kentucky’s standing with remaining 2020 and 2021 recruits. Evans speculated on a few of the top names left in 2020, but he seemed to feel more certain in his picks for 2021.
“I feel much better predicting one of it 2021 commitments, with the likeliest being Jaden Hardy and Paolo Banchero,” Evans wrote. “The shooting guard crop is rather abysmal, which is why the Wildcats have placed such a heavy priority on Hardy early on. Like Hardy, Banchero’s visit to Lexington could not have gone any better in the fall and while Washington is going to do all they can to keep him home, and Duke, North Carolina and Tennessee will have a shot, too, UK remains in the best spot for the top-five junior.”
Hardy is the No. 1 combo guard in the 2021 class, and getting one of the top few guards in that class will be vital to bringing in a top class overall. He picked up an offer from Calipari back in September, and Hardy continues to say great things about what he is hearing from the coaching staff in Lexington.
Kentucky has been in good shape with Banchero for quite some time, and for a while there was speculation he would be at UK in 2020. But now that he is staying in the 2021 class, he also will be a top priority in a front court that will still be rebuilding from a lack of depth this season.
It is great to see Kentucky in on these guys so early. It seems Coach Cal really is not messing around in recruiting right now. And if he continues to get the right pieces to return year after year, the Wildcats could be on the verge of a dominant run.