UK showing interest in Matt Haarms; will announce list Saturday

UPDATE

Matt Haarms will announce his list of schools in consideration on Saturday, and Kentucky should be on it.

Because Haarms can only do phone calls with coaches and virtual tours of campuses, it shouldn’t take too long for this recruitment to end, even if he does have said virtual meetings will all 10 schools.

Then again, Haarms may want to wait and see how the NBA Draft decisions shake out, though it continues to sound like UK will lose both Nick RIchards and EJ Montgomery to the draft, so Haarms may not have to wait long to see what they do.

Purdue Boilermakers center Matt Haarms entered his name into the transfer portal on Monday, much to the shock of the college basketball world. Haarms is a 7’3 shot blocker that Kentucky would desperately need for next season.

It appears now that Kentucky is showing interest in Haarms and has reached out about coming to join the Kentucky Wildcats program, per Evan Daniels.

The schools that have reached out are Gonzaga, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Illinois State, Louisville Kentucky, Arizona, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Arizona State, Syracuse, DePaul, South Carolina, Boston College, Seton Hall, Wichita State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Washington State, Utah, Oregon State, San Jose State, and Cal State Fullerton.

”It’s too early right now,” Haarms said when asked if he had an idea of who he would consider. “I still have people calling who haven’t texted me so I don’t even have the full picture just yet.”

Haarms averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season and added 2.1 blocks to go along with it. With the right development and coaching from Calipari and Kenny Payne, Haarms could be a serviceable big man to pair around a talented small-ball roster for UK next season.

Also, it seems like incoming Wildcat Terrence Clarke is a fan of the idea of becoming teammates with Haarms:

Because recruits and transfers can’t visit college campuses right now amid the COVID-19 pandemic and recruiting dead period that the NCAA has instituted, schools will now look to ‘host’ players like Haarms on virtual tours of campuses. Several recruitments of big-time transfers have ended fairly quickly this offseason due to this, whereas a normal recruitment like with Kerry Blackshear last year lasted months.

That’s why this recruitment could end fairly soon if Haarms narrows his list to a handful of schools he wants to see. And looking at the list above, you have to think UK will be one of those select few.