Getting to know the 2020 Class: Devin Askew

John Calipari pulled the five-star guard away from Chris Mack and the University of Louisville. But will he be ready?

By James Streble@JStreble82 Apr 25, 2020, 6:00am EDT

The point/combo guards for the 2020 class are as talented as we’ve seen in some time. Both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green were the top two at that position and were top five-recruits. The problem was that neither guy never really was going to be a Kentucky Wildcat.

With Cunningham’s brother at Oklahoma State, it was easy to connect the dots. Green always seemed to have his eyes set on professional basketball. He talked openly about the possibility of playing overseas during his recruitment. He ended up possibly being a trendsetter with his new G-League deal.

So, Calipari had to make a move and he moved toward Devin Askew. At the time that John Calipari and his staff started to ramp up his recruitment, the Louisville Cardinals were the heavy favorites for Askew... as a 2021 prospect.

Calipari was able to swoop in and, in a short amount of time, was able to convince the five star point guard to come and play in Lexington for the 2020 class. Askew reclassified, as did Terrence Clarke, and Kentucky now has a very promising backcourt for the 2020-21 season.

Tale of the Tape

Position: Combo guard
National Rank: #25
Position Rank: 6
Height: 6’3
Weight: 195

Outlook: Devin Askew is more Brandon Knight or Tyler Ulis than he is Ashton Hagans or Marquis Teague. While he is a point guard that is smooth with the ball and has the ability to find/make his teammates better, he has elite scoring ability which makes him very intriguing indeed.

One of his best skills is his three-point shooting ability. He was a deadly three point shooter in high school and he is able to score at all three levels on the court. While he isn’t overly fast or physical, he is good with the ball and makes smart decisions.

The biggest question about Askew is this: will he be ready? Reclassification is a tricky thing. While Ashton Hagans was ready fairly soon his reclassified freshman year, Johnny Juzang looked completely lost until the last month of the season.

John Calipari added some insurance with Creighton graduate transfer Davion Mintz. The thinking here is that Mintz can run the point until Askew is ready to take over. But if not, Mintz will be serviceable enough to run the offense and feed BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke.

But the prospect of Askew, Boston, and Clarke on the floor together is extremely enticing. All three are dangerous scorers. Boston and Askew can light it up from the perimeter. All three can drive the basketball. The best version of the Kentucky offense looks like those three playing the majority of the minutes in a three guard lineup.

Devin Askew has as much upside and growth potential than any player on the team.