Updated Basketball Rankings from 247
24/7 updated their basketball rankings today.
https://247sports.com/Season/2022-Basketball/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool
Target Yohan Traore moved up 22 spots to #10
Expected comit Jett Howard down one spot to #37
Comit Tarris Reed moved up 11 spots to #39
Comit Dug McDaniel stayed at #61
Long time in state target Ty Rogers moved up 2 spots to #54
September 15th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
This is how Alabama must feel… getting all these big time recruits and when we miss out it’s no big thing.
September 15th, 2021 at 3:05 PM ^
So Kentucky has 7 of thw top 20? ? Why do they still get recruits, he does nothing with them.
September 15th, 2021 at 3:22 PM ^
Just look at NBA rosters
September 15th, 2021 at 3:47 PM ^
to wit (this lists 27 players which....wow)
https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/conferences/Southeastern-Conference/8/Kentucky/258/nba-players
September 15th, 2021 at 4:10 PM ^
Yes, but there is another side to that reasoning. If you get a roster of 10 players all of whom are top 50 players and over the years, put 40% (this is a hypothetical, I have no idea what the actual numbers are) in the league, is that great development or just law of averages? For any given 5 star, a 40% shot at the NBA may not be great.
My gut reaction is that UK gets a bunch of guys that will get drafted no matter what, some develop but many do not, they get drafted and then UK claims "we put guys into the league." The question is how much is their game and draft stock improved by UK vs other alternatives.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:45 PM ^
I think Calipari does an excellent job in this regard. He's actually an excellent teacher of the game-like him or not.
I prefer Juwan and Jay Wright.
I hope Traore joins the good guys.
September 15th, 2021 at 8:35 PM ^
Too bad he can't get all of these 5* players to play as a team and win games.
September 16th, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
I agree completely with your logic. There is virtually no player development at UK, but when they come to the UK bball complex to visit here in Lexington I’m sure the first they see is a bunch of huge wall murals of Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, Devin Booker, Demarcus Cousins, John Wall etc…and then Cal probably puts Lebron on the phone, but even people here in Lex are pretty fed up with having to learn a whole new starting 5 every year that most likely won’t play up to their potential.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:26 PM ^
McDonald’s happy meals filled with Benjamin’s?
September 15th, 2021 at 5:53 PM ^
I mean, it's all out in the open now. "Hey, my Lexington, KY-based car dealership would like to sign you to an NIL." No need tp pick up a Mickey D's bags filled with cash at a drop point.
September 16th, 2021 at 8:19 PM ^
Those kids don't need Kentucky to get into the league
September 16th, 2021 at 8:19 PM ^
Those kids don't need Kentucky to get into the league
September 15th, 2021 at 3:54 PM ^
He has an NBA factory there. The UK fans are growing tired of it, because he gets insane talent and isn’t doing much with it. This past year he went with a smaller class and went for transfers, I thought he had wised up but he seems to be right back at it for 2022.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:06 PM ^
He does nothing but get them to the NBA and be lottery picks, which is more important to a lot of guys than winning an SEC title.
A version of this comment comes up every time someone brings up UK hoops. What us fans want and what the players want out of their time in college is not always the same thing.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:12 PM ^
Right, but there’s also no way to prove that UK or Coach is getting them there. It’s likely, if they’re rated that high, they would get there regardless of where they attended college.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:25 PM ^
Most of them would come out of high school and go to the nba, or at least the g league for a year and then nba. He surely doesn’t hamper them like an Izzo, mostly because he just lets them kind of play, which is also why he isn’t winning nearly as much as he should with that level of talent.
September 15th, 2021 at 7:28 PM ^
That's just not true.
Dude's been there 11.5 years (including canceled covid year) and has won a natty, been to another national title, two other final fours (4 in total), and two elite eights.
He has won his conference like six times.
For as much as we value regular-season titles, Calipari has done it in basically half his seasons.
The idea that Kentucky is just an NBA-factory without success is factually wrong.
If our coaches in the past had the same success as Calipari, we would be happier than a pig in shit. With the way he recruits, his team is in a position every year to win a crown. I don't remember a single year, other than this last season when his team wasn't a downright threat to win it all.
People seem to forget how freaking hard it is to win the whole thing; that is why Final Fours are valued so damn much. You can have a team with NBA talent; it doesn't always work out in a single-game, NCAA format.
Four final fours in 12 years? I'd say that's pretty damn good. I don't think we are having this convo if he snagged another national title.
September 15th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
Yep, he can recruit. My mom could win just as much with that talent.
September 15th, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
John Beilein went to two national title games and should’ve won one of them if it wasn’t for corrupt ass Louisville. He went to other elite 8’s and sweet 16’s. Won four bigten regular and tournament championships in 12 years. Had half the talent of Calipari. Calipari also went to the nit and had a round of 32 exit with elite talent. We will just have to disagree on his success based on the talent he’s acquired there.
September 16th, 2021 at 7:57 AM ^
I think expecting a team to win like four national titles in 11 years is silly.
Could he have had a bit more success? Yeah, I'm not going to go against that- I think he could have snagged another title.
But the bottom line is that HE HAS WON. People may not like the fact that he's doing it by getting great talent, but he does. Recruiting is a large part of success in college athletics.
Others can say yeah, I could win with that much talent. I doubt it. There's an art to getting all those players to stick together and buy into your scheme.
September 16th, 2021 at 8:35 AM ^
Yes, but he has also missed the tournament completely several times with teams that were loaded with 5 stars and among the most talented. Not saying he is a bad coach because I think he is decent. But I would not rank him among the best coaches either from a X and O perspective or from a player development perspective. He is certainly one of the best recruiters plus it helps a ton that UK basically outbids everyone except for Duke (and maybe Duke also).
September 16th, 2021 at 9:02 AM ^
I understand that.
To be honest, all of the hows and the whys don't really matter to me- he's doing it a certain way, by grabbing massive amounts of talent and seeing how it lands. Other coaches (Beilein for example) didn't always have the most skilled of teams but was able to coach them up.
I just think people unfairly say he should have won more, when winning national titles in college basketball is freaking impossible. He's already grabbed 1, been to another, and another two final fours. Going to 4 F4s in 12 years is something very few coaches can say.
No, I don't think he's the most adept at Xs and Os, but who cares when you do it another way just as successfully?
If you are able to simply look at the results, he's an elite coach. I think he gets held to an unfair standard by the great classes he pulls in. We don't talk about this with ANY other coach other than Calipari.
As outside viewers, we tend to create our own criteria depending on the situation, and I never really understood why. He's won plenty at Kentucky.
September 15th, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^
That means a minimum of 2 and maybe up to 3-4 will be doing some serious bench time. Unless this is Kentuckys first year in basketball and no one is on the roster right now. Is that number really true?
September 15th, 2021 at 8:51 PM ^
UK has a great campus filled with hot chicks everywhere. You are a God on campus, do not have to attend classes, have a killer "dorm' for basketball players only and get free cars. Not sure why a top 20 player wouldn't go there tbh
September 16th, 2021 at 8:37 AM ^
My personal "guess" is that if you are a top 20 player and play for Juwan you have a higher chance of being a 1st round pick and probably emerge as a better player than if you are a top 20 player and go to UK.
September 15th, 2021 at 2:02 PM ^
So what's the update on Yohan Traore? Are we still in the mix?
September 15th, 2021 at 2:12 PM ^
In his top 10 but no one has a feel as to where he's leaning within that top 10.
The full top 10 is Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UCLA, Utah, and the NBL (pro ball in NZ). He's taken 1 official to Texas Tech so far and that's it.
September 15th, 2021 at 2:14 PM ^
I like our chances in that top 10, other than maybe UCLA. He would be a huge get needless to say if Juwan can convince him to come here.
September 15th, 2021 at 6:49 PM ^
LSU & Memphis arent teams you like to recruit against in NCAAB either.
September 15th, 2021 at 2:34 PM ^
We are in his top 10, and he knows or is friends with 2021 commit Moussa Diabate. I think Matt EM said he is nowhere near making a decision, and he has just started taking visits. If his visits are still being taken, I would not expect him to sign during the early signing period, so this one will probably be decided in the Spring. This should actually favor Michigan, especially as classes fill up early.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
Sounds like a smart kid. I like our chances.
September 15th, 2021 at 2:50 PM ^
I hope target Yohan Traore, #10, and long time in state target Ty Rogers, #54, "comit" too!!!
Sorry, had to do it.
September 15th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^
I know, I saw that "too" late to fix it. I don't understand why Posts cannot be edited, but you can edit comments.
September 15th, 2021 at 2:54 PM ^
Eric Bossi just said Traore's transcripts might actually make him eligible for the upcoming NBA Draft. That would obviously be a game changer if true
September 15th, 2021 at 3:15 PM ^
Haven't been doing full updates as much since FB season is upon us so I'll give a brief Traore update here:
Prolific is a bit bitter about Traore transferring, and they haven't exactly played nice with regard to his transcripts. That has thrown a bit of confusion in his recruitment and hence the lack of clarity/visits.
September 15th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
That is super lame to hear about messing with a high school kids transcripts. Maybe even sadder to not be surprised.
September 15th, 2021 at 5:31 PM ^
Thanks Matt! Basketball season will be here before we know it. When I saw Ronnie Bell run into the basketball team in the end zone on his long TD vs Western, I got hyped for basketball season. They had some visitors for basketball that weekend. Any news on them?
September 15th, 2021 at 5:04 PM ^
that's dicked up
September 15th, 2021 at 3:21 PM ^
This is nice. I think UM should always recruit like this.
September 15th, 2021 at 3:42 PM ^
So, we likely end up with four of the top 60 or 70 players...assuming we add one more beyond Jett in the top 75.
Along with probably four players from this year's class....and a few upperclassmen...and a few key transfer...and you've got a top ten team!
September 15th, 2021 at 4:17 PM ^
I always say Dug McDug in my head
September 15th, 2021 at 5:02 PM ^
Goes to show, MattEM knows his stuff...
September 15th, 2021 at 7:50 PM ^
Ty Rodgers looks MSU bound to me.
September 16th, 2021 at 12:10 AM ^
I’m up watching the Washington game for like the 3rd or 4th time.?