Kentucky Wildcats Recruiting

Matthew Hurt has more good things to say about UK

The 6’9 forward has had a strong start for Team USA, and he really likes what UK has to offer.

By Zac Oakes@ZacOakes Jun 14, 2018, 8:15am EDT

Matthew Hurt is the #5 player in the Class of 2019, but he is continuing to draw solid reviews for his performances with Team USA in the FIBA U18 Championship in Canada.

Hurt, who stands at 6’9, is kind of a hybrid player who can play on the perimeter and make an offensive impact with his shooting ability, but can also get in the lane and score, while also having a solid interior game.

Hurt’s versatility on both ends of the floor has made him a popular target among the best of the best in college basketball, including Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and others.

Kentucky Sports Radio’s TJ Walker recently caught up with Hurt in Canada to talk about his thoughts about Kentucky.

“They have a great culture,” Hurt said. “They really develop guys over a couple years or a year to get to the NBA. That means a lot because my ultimate goal is the NBA. I think Kentucky could be a really good fit for me. They produce. They get what you want. They tell you what’s real, not what you want to hear but they tell you what you need. I think that’s really real.”

Kansas Head Coach Bill Self—also the Team USA Coach—also had some praise for Hurt. Hurt is seen as a Kansas lean and arguably the Jayhawks’ top recruiting target in the class.

“Matt can really shoot,” Self said. “He’s known by some that hasn’t watched him play a lot as just a great shooter, but he’s athletic. He can play on the perimeter, we haven’t posted him but he’s good on the post.”

Hurt is expected to cut his list in July or August, and many expect Kentucky to make the cut. While playing under Self at Team USA should help Kansas, playing alongside Tyrese Maxey could also be a benefit for Kentucky.

Hurt is a unique player who can score in a lot of ways while playing different positions. He also seems to fit Calipari’s new philosophy of having every guy on the court with the ability to shoot threes.

Kansas should probably still be viewed as the frontrunner, but don’t count Kentucky out just yet.

You can read Walker’s full piece here.