OT: Kentucky's 2013 basketball recruiting class

They had a lot of attrition last year, right.  Are they running under currently?  That may be the difference.  Either way, Calipari is a snake, so he'll slither around until he finds some way to make it happen I'm sure.

simple as that, he needs to make room for all these top players and clearly doesn't want a lot of the players from a nit first round team back onto the roster, he will basically force them to transfer

Three guys will go pro so it doesn't really matter. Harrow will most likely transfer again also. Coach Cal can seriously recruit, its amazing to be honest .

Calipari has, as we all know, a history of violations.  He won't stop this until the NCAA, riiiight, does something about it...such as banning him from coaching any college in the nation.

“We’ve gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that’s why I’m glad I’m not coaching,” he said. “You see we’ve got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he’s still coaching. I really don’t understand that.”  -  Bobby Knight

And this link is even three years old...

http://www.bareknucks.com/john-calipari-is-compromising-the-integrity-of-college-basketball

read an artical yesterday (maybe someone else read it after the loss and can remember the site) that essentially quoted him as saying he will evaluate all of the current players after the season as well as incoming recruits and make decisions for team personnel going forward. It definitely came across as guys being released and put into the Free Agent market if he does not see a place for them on the team next year.

Calipari pretty much advertises UK as a preferred destination for one-and-dones.  I don't think it's much of a stretch to project that a lot of money changes hands down in Lexington to get them there, either.  The only really cool thing about this is that Calipari is shrinking Ohio State's pool of one-and-dones, and making them develop their program on a level playing field with everyone else.

They lost to Robert Morris

 A kid I know played at Kentucky last year (Doron Lamb) and is now playing in the NBA. I think he left early not because he was ready to go but because Cal needed the room. Had he stayed he would have been a junior this year and lead that team to the tourney and probably upped his draft stock. I wonder if the players feel like Cal pushing them toward the league even when there not ready will ever hurt his recruiting at some poing.

http://wildcatbluenation.com/2013/01/25/kentucky-wildcat-basketball-sorting-out-the-scholarship-situation-for-2013-14/2/

Most seem to think they'll be ok, assuming they pull a walk-on scholarship, a few guys go pro, and 1-2 guys either transfer or don't receive a 5th year.  I wouldn't call shenanigans just yet.  It's not like they're obviuosly going to pull the scholarship of a former 3-4 star guy just so they can bring in the next big thing.  Not renewing for a 5th year and pulling a walk-on's scholarship are on the up-and-up.  Telling an unutilized guy that he's not going to get any PT, so he may want to think about transferring is a bit more negative, but not sleazy, but it's not gaming the system like Saban seems to be doing with the preponderance of medical hardships coming out of that program.

Is the 5/8 rule not in effect anymore? 

Money does actually buy happiness for some

Let's be honest, if Michigan could get 6 - 7 of the top 20 players, probably most Michigan fans would be thrilled. I personally like what Beilein has done, and wouldn't want to emulate Calipari and Kentucky. To each their own:  I just don't want to buy championships, made of hired guns with zero allegience to Michigan.

ESPN wrote about the class, saying on paper it is "the best recruiting class of all time" and surpasses Michigan's Fab Five class of 1991.

The addition of Randle also steers Kentucky into unprecedented recruiting territory. The Wildcats have assembled, on paper, the No. 1 recruiting class of all-time. This group of Wildcats is comprised of six top-20 recruits, four of whom are the No. 1 player at their respective position. Previously, Michigan's 1991 "Fab Five" class had been the standard bearer for recruiting classes. UK's group is larger, deeper and more talented.

Anybody who thinks these one-and-done kids are paying even minimal attention to their History of Basketball 101 courses during their single year in school is beyond naive. It's a farce.

The guy supports his players. I loved watchIng that all access thing espn had on Kentucku. Let's face it, most top level high school players dream is to get to the NBA. The dream only involves college because it has to. He coaches defense and an offense that gets your skills devleoped to NBA style game. He promises the NBA and he follows through and gets the kids there. Can't really fault the guy. He doesn't really miss on getting kids to the NBA. It's not hard to sell a kid that one year with him gets them to where they want to go.

....but seriously, it's all going to be vacated

After last night they'll have room.

They'll just lose to Robert Morris again LOL. Out of all the places these players can go and they choose Kentucky? I would be going down South to Miami for my one and done year LOL.

I will be interested to see how his strategy of one and one plays out here over the next few years. He managed to get two phenomenal talents in Davis and MKG along with a few holdovers from previous years and won a National Championship. Then this year with 4 talented freshman he doesn't make the tournament (may have just made it if Noel stays healthy).

Can he ever mold a bunch of talented freshman into a National Championship team again, or was it just one year of good luck? I personally don't think you can win with any consistency with that strategy, but he has already proven the doubters wrong once.

How many more years does Cal have until the inevitable NCAA sanctions find him again?

I can't wait to see the "30 for 30" on UK basketball in about 7-10 years. I know we all like to make fun of the dirt that is SEC football,but Saban and those guys don't have nothing on UK basketball. Its so in your face in Lexington they don't even try and hide it.