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John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats currently have the No. 3 recruiting class for 2021, according to 247 Sports. But they are really just getting started.
With Daimion Collins, Nolan Hickman, and Bryce Hopkins as a foundation, the class is shaping up to be another star-studded group rolling into Lexington.
And according to Rivals analyst Rob Cassidy, the rich may be getting richer in the near future.
The No. 2 combo guard and the No. 7 overall player, according to 247 Sports Composite, is Hunter Sallis. He is a 6-5 guard that is comfortable both at point guard and shooting guard. Calipari has worked hard to land him, and Cassidy believes Kentucky is currently the No. 1 contender in his recruitment.
“The Wildcats have looked to be the frontrunner by varying sizes of margin for a while now despite only coming to the table with an offer in August,” Cassidy wrote. “That’s simply something blue bloods like John Calipari’s program are afforded the luxury of doing. Kentucky leads a number of programs that Sallis was able to visit either officially or unofficially in the past. The fact that UK will likely have holes in the backcourt come 2021 makes the program even more alluring for a guard like Sallis with NBA upside and aspirations. Kentucky will be difficult but not impossible to beat down the stretch.”
The remaining teams in Cassidy’s top five rankings for Sallis are the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Iowa State Cyclones, the Creighton Bluejays, and the Kansas Jay Hawks. Any of these schools would love to have Sallis, but the buzz is trending toward Kentucky.
Many believe that Devin Askew will still be in Lexington in 2021-22, Nolan Hickman is already signed on, and Skyy Clark may reclassify. That is ignoring the fact that transfer Davion Mintz will get an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
So the backcourt will certainly not be barren come next fall, but will Sallis sign on in hopes of proving himself and growing through competitive practices? His decision very well may come down to Skyy Clark’s decision to reclassify.
Read the rest of Cassidy’s column here, where he breaks down all of the suitors for Hunter Sallis.
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