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Keion Brooks sets decision date

Kentucky is making a strong push for the five-star forward, but will they overcome Indiana?

Doug McSchooler

Keion Brooks, a five-star recruit out of Indiana, is one of the prized jewels remaining in the class of 2019.

Now, Brooks has set a decision date for March 15, according to Brian Snow of 247 Sports.

An announcement had been expected to come soon considering Brooks has made it clear that he did not want to drag out his recruitment into the spring.

At 6-8 and 185 pounds, Brooks is one of the most versatile forwards in the country. He has a lethal mid-range game and incredible length. Brooks plays for the La Lumiere School, which is located in Northern Indiana.

There are several schools still believed to in the race for landing Brooks, including Kentucky, but the Indiana Hoosiers have been in the lead for much of his recruitment. Purdue, Michigan State and North Carolina are the other schools still in consideration.

Archie Miller has already landed another five-star player from the state of Indiana in 6-8 center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who also just happens to be best friends with Brooks. This is obviously a major reason why Indiana has lead crystal ball predictions for Brooks for some time.

However, the winds have been shifting after Brooks’ visit to Lexington to see Kentucky demolish the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers. He had scheduled a visit for Michigan State the next day, which he promptly canceled the morning after his visit to Kentucky.

Immediately after the visit, predictions started rolling in for Brooks picking Kentucky. Within 48 hours of leaving Lexington, the Wildcats began getting predictions and now lead his 247 crystal ball.

Even though the Hoosiers are not having a terrific season, Romeo Langford is still positioning himself to be a lottery pick, so other top recruits may choose to follow in his footsteps. Jackson-Davis and Brooks have been thought to be a potential package deal for some time, and we will find out soon enough.

As far as how this decision will impact Kentucky for next season, I do not think missing out on Brooks will be devastating. UK already has commitments from Kahlil Whitney and Dontaie Allen who play similar positions. This is in addition to the continued recruitment of another five-star forward in the class of 2019, Jaden McDaniels.

You would have to assume that this will ultimately be factored into Brooks’ decision. But John Calipari frequently preaches positionless basketball so you can never count out the Wildcats. It would be great to land a talent like Brooks, but if it doesn’t happen Kentucky is still set up well at that position for 2019.

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