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Recapping Kentucky’s Busy Recruiting Weekend

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2 years ago

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This weekend was a busy one for Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari and his staff, as the major shoe circuits kicked off their seasons. On Friday, Calipari was in Iowa for Adidas 3SSB with Assistant Coach, Chin Coleman, and then arrived at Nike EYBL in Atlanta on Saturday with his other assistants, Orlando Antigua and Bruiser Flint, who were there on Friday.

Kentucky watched a total of 19 recruits through both Adidas 3SSB and Nike EYBL this past weekend:

Here is a breakdown of the top targets that the coaching staff saw, and how each performed over the weekend:

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Note: Rankings via 247 Sports

2024

Tre Johnson (2024, No. 1 SG, No. 1 Overall)

Kentucky’s top target in the rising Senior class, Tre Johnson proved why he is the best player in the class. Kentucky’s coaching staff watched every game of his this weekend at Nike EYBL. He averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 36.7% overall, and 41.7% from three.

Kentucky showed why he is the top priority for Kentucky in the class by seeing all of his games. and showing him that they have all of their chips in for him, making a hard push.

Johnson is expected to make his decision before Peach Jam, which is July 3-9. Recent intel has suggested that Texas currently leads his recruitment, with Kentucky lurking right behind, making a strong push. Baylor is seen to be behind those two schools in the race for the prized recruit.

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Flory Bidunga (2024, No. 1 C, No. 3 Overall)

Next to Tre Johnson, Flory Bidunga is right there with Kentucky’s most prioritized target in the class of 2024, and Kentucky’s main big-man target. John Calipari was in to watch him at Adidas 3SSB on Friday night, and the elite big man did not disappoint. In his time this weekend, he averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, and a jaw-dropping 6.5 blocks.

Kentucky is clearly starting to really ramp up the pressure on the elite big-man, and is trying to beat out Cincinnati, and Auburn among others trying to land him. His intimidating presence and elite shot-blocking have Kentucky pushing very hard for Bidunga.

Boogie Fland (2024, No. 2 CG, No. 13 Overall)

One of Kentucky’s most prioritized players in 2024, the elite Guard is one Calipari and his staff really want. Fland is by far Kentucky’s top Point Guard target in the class, with a lot of different schools also prioritizing him. Throughout the weekend at Nike EYBL, he averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

The star guard did not have his best weekend overall, but when he got going, it’s hard to deny how good he was. Saturday afternoon was his best game by far, where he exploded for 31 points, and even shot a very efficient 55% from three.

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Fland has a variety of suitors after him, including Alabama, UNC, Villanova, and St. Johns, among others. Kentucky is pushing for him to visit at some point this summer, and according to Kyle Tucker, Kentucky sends him graphics of all of their guards in the NBA, which is a brilliant pitch to your primary point guard target in 2024.

Karter Knox (2024, No. 5 SF, No. 15 Overall)

Karter Knox is one of Kentucky’s top recruits overall. The coaching staff watched every game of his this weekend, and he filled up the stat sheet every time. Through his four games this weekend at Nike EYBL, he averaged 21.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, and shot 60% from the field, and 41% from three.

Knox actually ranks 4th in points at Nike EYBL among 17U players. The star forward is very efficient shooting and is very good from the free-throw line. He can score in a variety of ways and can fill it up.

Karter Knox has multiple suitors, but all of the intel has suggested it will come down to a Kentucky and Louisville battle. He considers both like family because his brother is former Kentucky standout Kevin Knox, but he has an uncle-like relationship with Louisville Head Coach Kenny Payne. He is in no rush to make a decision, but it will be interesting when it gets closer to time.

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Knox is teammates with Liam McNeely, who is a new name for Kentucky in 2024. The star forward has caught the staff’s eye, and may even receive an offer soon, as the staff is increasing their interest.

2025

Darryn Peterson (2025, No. 2 SG, No. 6 Overall)

Darryn Peterson is arguably Kentucky’s main target, but he is one that Kentucky has had eyes on for a long time. The star guard received an offer from Kentucky over a year ago, which is rare for John Calipari to offer at that time, but it marked Kentucky’s first offer in the class of 2025.

Over the weekend at Adidas 3SSB, Peterson put on a show, and his scoring ability is very polished at his age. Kentucky was on him early, and for good reason, and other schools have started to catch on.

Kentucky is seen as an early favorite, but not much intel has come about on his recruitment. Kentucky was the first major school to offer early, followed by Michigan and he is now being pursued by UNC, who recently offered him this weekend.

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Koa Peat (2025, No. 3 PF, No. 3 Overall)

A player who Kentucky has had their eye on, it comes as no surprise that he received an offer from Kentucky on Saturday.

Kentucky was in to watch him at Adidas 3SSB on Friday night, where he put on a show. In front of John Calipari and Chin Coleman, the star forward had 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Peat received recent offers from Ole Miss and Florida along with Kentucky, while already holding offers from a number of high-major programs like Baylor, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, and Texas among others. He has been high on numerous programs’ radars and is a star, versatile wing.

As Kentucky’s second offer in the 2025 class, it’s clear that Peat and Darryn Peterson will be among the top priorities for Kentucky in their class.

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Kentucky spent the weekend scouting, building relationships, and finding new recruits as they look to continue their hot recruiting mojo into the 2024 class and beyond.

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Mark Pope Updated Lamont Butler’s Status Going Forward, “It’s An Interesting Thing”

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4 days ago

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December 20, 2024

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Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler (1) is helped to his feet by his teammates.
IMAGN

On Wednesday during his pre-Ohio State press conference, Coach Pope provided a brief update on the injury status of Lamont Butler who suffered an ankle injury against Clemson.

Even though Butler was able to play against Louisville, playing 32 minutes on a recently injured ankle could possibly lead to a setback. When discussing Butler’s injury on Wednesday, Coach Pope jokingly said: “Lamont’s ankle is an interesting thing because there’s part of me that wants to get it 100% healthy, and then there’s a part of me that, I don’t know if I want to get it 100% healthy. He was pretty good in that Louisville game.” Pope was smiling as he said that, referring to Butler scoring 33 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and shooting perfectly from the field. 

Pope went on to explain that the UK coaching staff is being careful with Butler and currently holding him “out of contact” in practice. This means he’s doing the individual drills, offensive breakdown concepts, but when it comes to live action, Butler is not participating. 

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The good news for BBN, Pope ended his update on Butler by saying, “I think he’s over it, I think we’ve moved on, hopefully”. This is a good update on Butler and certainly infers that he should have no limitations for Saturday’s game against Ohio State.

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Acaden Lewis Nearly Axed Kentucky, but Mark Pope Won Him Over On and off the Court

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1 month ago

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November 22, 2024

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Kentucky basketball commit Acaden Lewis with coach Mark Pope on an official visit.
Chet White | UK Athletics

No one knew how close Kentucky was to missing its prized point guard in the 2025 class. According to a recent interview with Larry Vaught, he was ready to commit to Dan Hurley and the Connecticut Huskies. Yet, Mark Pope was still able to get his prized recruit.

Lewis is a top 40 recruit from the D.C. area who was a late riser in the recruiting rankings. The six-foot-two-inch guard had a tremendous junior campaign for Sidwell and Friends School. Lewis went from a fringe top 80 prospect to a consensus top 35 prospect wanted by every blueblood program.

“In the spring he was in a space where he was trying to shop himself,” Pope said. “Then by midsummer, he was trying to tell people to stop bothering me, ‘I can’t talk to every single school in the country.’”

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So how did the self-made top 35 prospect, near UConn commit end up at Kentucky?

In the summer, Mark Pope was on the verge of losing his featured point guard to Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies.

“He was on the verge of cutting Kentucky,” Acaden’s father Jarett Lewis said. “His choice was going to be UConn.”

When Pope received this information, he immediately made the trip to D.C. with his full staff, determined to change the momentum. That trip was essentially to “hangout” with and understand Acaden, as the staff immersed themselves in the point guard’s daily life, which ultimately resonated with those closest to the recruitment process. They watched Lewis work out in his neighborhood of Trinidad, then spent time with him at his local barbershop and home.

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“We live in the hood but they (Pope and Acaden) come down and hang out in the barbershop. There is no gimmick with Pope. He cares about where you are from, who you spend time with. If he likes you and wants you, he wants to understand you.”

That visit left a lasting impression, but Pope then continued traveling to D.C. weekly for a month to see Acaden, all kept under wraps. Jarett Lewis felt like his son was being recruited by Mark Pope as if he was another DC legend, Allen Iverson.

“I am floored because Mark and Jason had recruited him the hardest of any blue blood. Regardless of his ranking, Pope recruited him like he was Allen Iverson in his prime.”

The effort did not go unnoticed as Jarett wanted his son to take an official visit to Kentucky, and give them a chance.

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“I don’t care if you cut Kentucky but the thing we won’t do is not give Mark Pope a chance to address any concerns you have. The thing you do better than anybody in the country is communicate and whatever fears and concerns you have, now is the time for you to hold Pope accountable,” Jarett Lewis told his son.

From the edge of being cut, Acaden had a “home-run” official visit in Lexington for Big Blue Madness.

“He didn’t care about seeing campus. He wanted this visit to be about basketball. It was the most basketball-oriented visit we had and what we wanted. He loved it all and decided Kentucky was for him.”

“If I had not stepped in and said to let Pope visit, I guarantee you now he would be going to UConn. I basically forced him to take that visit but now he’s glad I did.”

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Next season, Lewis is set to pair in a Kentucky backcourt with Jasper Johnson, also joining five-star big Malachi Moreno. A great start to Mark Pope’s first recruiting class.

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Where Kentucky Basketball Stands in the Preseason Analytics

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2 months ago

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November 1, 2024

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The Kentucky Wildcats are set to tip off the season and the analytics belief they are in for a good first season under Mark Pope.
Jordan Prather | Imagn Images

With exhibition games now passed us, it’s a reminder that the season is just days away. With Kentucky winning both exhibitions by 71 points and 31 points, respectively, excitement is really starting to build in the Bluegrass.

The Wildcats were ranked 23rd in the preseason AP and Coaching polls. With an experienced team, the analytics have a lot of data to pull from and some believe that Kentucky is better than that ranking, while others believe they are worse.

H.U.M.A.N Poll (KenPom subscribers): 16th
Haslametrics: 17th
EvanMiya: 22nd
Bart Torvik: 23rd
KenPom: 43rd

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Among doing this for teams, they have data on each team’s players as well.
Kenpom projected Kentucky’s most valuable player to be Wake Forest transfer
Andrew Carr. Andrew Carr was ranked as the #108 most valuable player in the
country. EvanMiya agrees with this, giving him a 4.54 Bayesian performance rating.

These data projections may be a bit skewed. Some of the rankings were very
interesting as seen here.

  • Andrew Carr (No. 108)
  • Brandon Garrison (No. 142)
  • Lamont Butler (No. 145)
  • Kerr Kriisa (No. 155)
  • Amari Williams (No. 158)
  • Otega Oweh (No. 167)
  • Koby Brea (No. 174)
  • Jaxson Robinson (No. 240)
  • Travis Perry (No. 1,041)
  • Trent Noah (No. 1,281)
  • Collin Chandler (No. 1,632)
  • Grant Darbyshire (No. 1,820)
  • Ansley Almonor (No. 1,912)
  • Walker Horn (No. 4,133)

Kentucky is currently listed to have seven players in the country’s top 200
most valuable players. However, the big shocker is the
projected value of BYU Transfer Jaxson Robinson.

Again, these projections are a bit skewed, as we do see Walk-on Grant
Darbyshire as being more valuable than Fairleigh Dickenson Transfer
Ansley Almonor.

Some guys were however listed as more valuable than some may
think. Brandon Garrison Oklahoma State Transfer, and former
McDonald’s All-American comes in at #142.

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Garrison showed out during Kentucky’s Pro Day displaying
a great ability to defend and protect the rim. Garrison also showed a
fantastic motor and incredible athleticism. He is someone who I
foresee playing a huge role in the Cats Frontcourt this season.

Another surprise was Colin Chandler coming in at #1,632. Chandler
was a 4 Star prospect coming in at #33 in the 2022 Class. Chandler
took some time away from the sport to embark on a mission trip
overseas. He is starting to get back into the swing of basketball and is
someone who I think could surprise a lot of folks this season.
Overall, the National Media views Kentucky as a middle-of-the-pack
Top 25 team. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the
course of the season.

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