UK recruits make SI.com list of potential NBA All-Stars

Over the last 10 years, the Big Blue Nation has been conditioned to engage themselves around NBA All-Star weekend. Since the arrival of John Calipari back in 2009, the University of Kentucky has been a factory for pushing out NBA talent.

Things weren’t much different this year with the Cats having three players selected to play in last week’s All-Star game. The blue and white will have representation from Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, and even the late addition of Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns.

Jason Jordan of SI.com wrote an article calling attention to several high school players, regardless of class, that he believes has the best chance to see themselves in an NBA All-Star game one day. Jordan gave a quick synopsis of each player and his rationale for why their game will translate to the professional level.

It came as no surprise that the list was littered with UK commits and prospects.

2020 commit Terrence Clarke made the list due to his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. Jordan explained that Clarke can score at all three-levels and puts in effort on the defensive end.

At times, Clarke’s tremendous potential can be overlooked due to the monster class that Calipari has coming to Lexington next year but this kid has all the tools to be a top pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

BJ Boston was another 2020 UK commit that was listed as a potential future NBA All-Star. Pretty much anybody that has taken the time to watch Boston play this season has raved about his game.

At 6-6 his long frame, smooth skills, and play-making ability are all evidence of why his game will translate to the NBA. Boston has recently soared up the lists of every ranking service, including moving all the way to #6 in ESPN’s latest release.

There were several other notable names that made Jason Jordan’s list who are considering Kentucky as their destination for college.

2020 forward Greg Brown from Austin (TX) has a reputation of possessing elite athleticism and a very high ceiling. If you’ve seen any of his highlights then you are fully aware of just how incredible his vertical leap is. With a rocky situation that just seems to be getting worse at the University of Texas, it could put the Cats in a better position to land Greg Brown but only time will tell.

Adding him to the already loaded class of 2020 would make UK instant title contenders for next season, if they aren’t already.

Paolo Banchero from O’dea high school in Seattle is one of the best prospects in the country regardless of class. Currently, he is in 2021 but rumors continue to soar that Kentucky is interested in him exploring the reclassification route and joining next year’s team. Just this week, John Calipari traveled all the way to Seattle to watch Banchero wind down his junior season.

Two other names mentioned that are on the Kentucky Wildcats’ radar are Jonathan Kuminga and Patrick Baldwin Jr.