:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66647262/1147665730.jpg.0.jpg)
Jonathan Kuminga is one of the best players in all of high school hoops. He’s also having one of the strangest recruitments of any prospective athlete.
The No. 1 player in the Class of 2021, Kuminga has been viewed as someone likely to reclassify and become one of the top players in 2020, putting him on a college basketball court next season and at or near the top of the 2021 NBA Draft.
While Kentucky has remained in the hunt for The Patrick School (NJ) product, the LSU Tigers have been seen as the favorite, even drawing a prediction from recruiting guru Andrew Slater of 247 Sports.
Well, LSU is apparently backing out of this recruitment, according to a report from 247 Sports’ Bill Embody.
LSU being "done" recruiting arguably the No. 1 prospect in all of high school basketball because of "concerns on how he'd fit into the culture" under Will Wade is laughable https://t.co/KlcmDB1enN
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) April 13, 2020
This is a complete shocker that frankly seems unfathomable, especially for a program like LSU and head coach Will Wade, who clearly aren’t afraid to take major risks. For them to back off Kuminga, there has to be something seriously concerning going on in this recruitment.
As for what this means for Kentucky, who knows, but John Calipari has backed off recruitments in the past that were becoming too risky to be involved with. If LSU isn’t willing to stay in the hunt, it’s hard to see Calipari and Kentucky being in it much longer either, if they even are still recruiting Kuminga.
And be sure to go follow our Twitter page and ‘like’ our Facebook page for the latest Kentucky Wildcats news, views and other fun stuff.