UK out for Dawson Garcia; Alabama gets a key prediction for Isaiah Jackson

Kentucky currently has the No. 1 recruiting class for 2020, but it’s far from perfect.

That’s because the Wildcats only have one commitment from a true frontcourt player in four-star forward Lance Ware. While he’s a very talented player who could be a one-and-done player, he’s still just one big in a frontcourt that may be left bare after the 2019-20 season.

Nate Sestina will graduate, and EJ Montgomery will almost certainly head off to the NBA Draft. Nick Richards may also opt to begin his pro career, as it’s been a rarity for former five-star recruits to spend four years in Lexington.

That’s why getting 3-4 true big men in 2020 is imperative, but two potential options may be headed elsewhere.

On Tuesday, five-star forward Dawson Garcia announced his final seven, and Kentucky did not make the cut.

The Minnesota native was someone Kentucky showed interest in throughout the spring and summer, but contact between the two parties had died down recently, so it’s no real surprise to see Garcia is no longer considering the Wildcats.

Part of why Kentucky’s interest in Garcia waned was likely due to the emergence of Isaiah Jackson as a legitimate option, so much that the five-star forward was viewed as one of the likeliest future commitments for the Wildcats.

However, Alabama is a major player in his recruitment, and the Crimson Tide just got a prediction from 247 Sports recruiting expert Andrew Slater. And that’s before Jackson even visits Alabama later this month, so it’s safe to think the Tide are a real threat to land the top-25 recruit out of Michigan.

Now that Garcia is off the board, if Kentucky also misses on Jackson, that means Isaiah Todd, Cliff Omoruri and Greg Brown will be the only true 2020 bigs with offers from Kentucky.

Makur Maker is someone the Wildcats are very interested in, but it looks like he’ll end up overseas. JT Thor is another big man to watch for, though neither he nor Make have offers from Kentucky.

Maybe all of this will lead to John Calipari offering in-state star JJ Traynor.