UK signee Daimion Collins with UK assistant coach Jai Lucas
What has Kentucky’s horrific start done to recruiting? The Cats signed Nolan Hickman, Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins in November and recently Oscar Tshwiebe transferred from West Virginia to UK. Nashville junior point guard Skyy Clark has verbally committed to UK and recently his father said he remains all-in with Kentucky.
Kentucky assistant coach Joel Justus did not seem to think UK’s 1-6 start was a big deal recruiting-wise when I asked him about it now that UK is 5-10.
“I think the biggest thing in recruiting is getting to know those individuals. That’s the key. I think when we’re talking recruiting, you’re talking about their season,” Justus said.
“You’re talking about their feelings. You’re talking about their dreams, what they want out of their experience at the University of Kentucky and coming to play for a Hall of Fame coach with a staff that’s going to be with you, is going to challenge you, that’s going to love you. You’re going to be on the greatest stage of college basketball playing in front of the greatest fans that are out there in our sport.
“So for us, I think that nothing has really changed whether we were 13- 0, or 0-0, or whatever. We have a great product here, and our thing is to continue to communicate that to families and people that want to come here, that want to be built different, that want to be on the greatest stage, to come to a world-class university and challenge themselves every day. It’s more about, I think, when you’re recruiting the individual, the family and you get to the bottom of what they want to become.”
Still losing like UK has cannot be a plus for a team used to contending for national titles and producing first-round draft picks.
On Saturday West Virginia junior guard Isaac McKneely picked Virginia. Kentucky was one of his final eight schools but he did not have a UK offer.
Those close to the UK program told me the 2022 recruiting class is “loaded” with talented guards and it was “too early” for UK to offer him since he has yet to play a game this year. West Virginia is not starting high school basketball until March.
You also have to wonder about 6-4 North Laurel standout Reed Sheppard, the son of former UK players Jeff Sheppard and Stacey Reed Sheppard. He recently got his first Power 5 offer from Iowa and former UK coaches Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith have offered scholarships.
When or will Sheppard get an offer from Kentucky because his numbers are incredible.
