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Report: NCAA waiving standardized test scores for incoming freshman

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There is a lot of new stuff happening in the basketball world. Earlier today, Mark Schlabach of ESPN reported that the NCAA Eligibility Center will be waiving the standardized test score requirement for incoming freshman in both DI and DII for the 2020-21 academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This is because due to COVID-19, schools nationwide are closed, therefore student-athletes are not able to take the standardized tests (ACT and SAT) that they would normally be required to take.

From ESPN:

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Students who expect to graduate from high school in time to enroll in a Division I school this coming academic year will be academically eligible by earning a combined 2.3 grade-point average in the 10 NCAA-approved core courses, with a combined seven in English, math and science prior to the start of their senior year. There is a 2.2 GPA requirement in 10 NCAA-approved core courses for Division II schools.

The same GPA requirements will apply to international students and they must complete at least 10 core courses prior to the start of their senior year.

The Eligibility Center is navigating the complexity of COVID-19 and its negative impact on our membership, high schools and student-athletes,” Felicia Martin, vice president of the NCAA Eligibility Center, said in a statement. We understand this is an unprecedented situation and a difficult time for students and their parents, and the Eligibility Center is working diligently to ensure the best possible outcome for college-bound student-athletes and our member schools.

The NCAA said the new requirements will be considered automatic waivers for both Divisions I and II, meaning those students meeting these criteria will be academically eligible to receive an athletics scholarship and practice and compete in their first year at member schools.

The Eligibility Center said in the news release that it would also modify its approach to high schools that issue pass/fail grades because of closures and would not require separate reviews of distance or e-learning programs used for NCAA-approved core courses during spring and summer 2020. Students will also be able to complete additional required core courses this summer.

This now means that all 2021 athletes are eligible to reclassify, whereas before some found themselves not eligible to.

What does this mean for Kentucky?

Well, right now it looks like the Cats will be adding Matt Haarms sometime this weekend. With this new rule opening up reclassifications for just about everyone, the two guys that could end up reclassifying are Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 4 and No. 1 ranked recruits in the class of 2021.

Banchero has stated several times that he will not be reclassifying, but with this new exception, he could always change his mind. Banchero completed a virtual visit with Kentucky on Wednesday.

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Kuminga on the other hand is likely to reclassify. He tweeted this just two days ago:

While it isn’t likely at all, it would be huge if Kentucky got both Kuminga and Banchero to reclassify and pick the Cats.

Other prospects that could decide to reclassify are Jaden Hardy, who released his top 12 schools last night that included Kentucky. Kennedy Chandler, who also completed a virtual visit with Kentucky on Wednesday. And Moussa Cisse, who released his top 10 schools on Sunday that included Kentucky.

All of the players are in the middle of their recruitment process and slowly narrowing down their lists, coming closer to a decision. With this new exception, no one knows what will happen and I expect a lot of news to come out in the coming days/weeks.

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The recruiting world is wild, but John Calipari and Kentucky could be getting ready for a big finish to the 2020 class.

BB Recruiting

Mark Pope Recruited Five-Star Recruit Nate Ament During His Tennessee Visit

Mark Pope made sure to get a word in with Nate Ament following Kentucky’s impressive road win against Tennessee.

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Nate Ament, a five-star prospect ranked fourth (ESPN 100) in the 2025 class, made an official visit to potential suitor Tennessee last Tuesday, Jan. 27. Unfortunately for them, Mark Pope and his Kentucky Wildcats were in town.

The ‘Cats put on a show in front of the highly-touted recruit, spoiling the Volunteer’s homecoming and making a statement to a player who has yet to make an official commitment.

Not only that, but Kentucky is still in the mix. Ament recently cut down his list of schools to a final bunch: BYU, Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Big Blue, among others.

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While Duke currently holds the next visit and opportunity to sway Ament in their direction, Coach Pope made sure he got a word in after the win against Tennessee.

“Let’s go Nate”

According to KSR’s Jacob Polacheck, Pope reportedly passed Ament as he left the handshake line, saying “Let’s go Nate,” and C’mon, Nate.” There are few ways more effective to prove yourself and your system to a player than to win in convincing fashion right in front of them.

Without a doubt, Pope earned himself and the program a few brownie points with that one.

If Kentucky were to land Ament, he’d fit right into the ranks of recruits that Pope has landed so far. Then again, a 6’9 forward averaging nearly 20 points per game in high school could likely find a spot just about anywhere.

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According to Ament, two of the most important aspects of his decision are “player development” and “the family aspect of the team.”

“Wherever I go I want to make sure I’m taken care of and have the best relationships. I also want to be challenged to get better and play for a coach that lets me play through my mistakes,” he said.

If Mark Pope is known for anything, it’s his personable approach to coaching and his constant insistence on study and improvement. For Ament, it seems like Kentucky is a good fit and he will be taking a visit to Lexington in February.

Can Mark Pope get his first top-five recruit?

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Top Recruit Cancels Visit to John Calipari and Arkansas, Kentucky the Perceived Leader

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Chet White | UK Athletics, Nelson Chenault | Imagn

Recruiting. That was Mark Pope’s biggest criticism at BYU and in just six months he has calmed most of those worries. In addition to recruiting thirteen guys in a little over a month for his first team, he has signed three top 30 prospects for the 2025 class, including two five stars, as Kentucky sits third overall in the recruiting rankings.

Now, it looks like Pope is nearing his first top-10 prospect, besting John Calipari and Arkansas.

Caleb Wilson, a 6-9, 205-pound wing from Atlanta, cancelled his visit to Arkansas for the second time on Thursday and is not expected to reschedule. In a recent interview with Jack Pilgrim, Wilson had less-than-ideal things to say about the Razorbacks.

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“I really have never considered or thought about Arkansas before Coach Cal went there,” Wilson said. “I’m not really in tune with the school. I never thought I would be interested in Arkansas. I never knew anything about them. I never knew they were in the SEC until like a year ago.”

Meanwhile, Wilson was in attendance for Kentucky’s win over Duke on Tuesday.

The recruitment for Wilson has been interesting. Wilson was heavily considering Kentucky when Calipari was still the head coach, attending the 2023 Big Blue Madness, and many thought that would carry over with his move to Arkansas. Towards the end of the grassroots circuit, it was clear that wasn’t the case.

That is when Kentucky started making a strong push for Wilson, with the primary competition being North Carolina. When Wilson visited Lexington in September it vaulted them to the top of the list and they have continued to carry that momentum in the weeks since. A NIL offer upwards of $2 million doesn’t hurt either.

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A final list for Wilson is expected to be released soon, with a decision coming by mid-January. You should really like Kentucky’s chances, and what a statement it would be to get a commit over Calipari and another over North Carolina (Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson).

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BREAKING: Four-Star PG Acaden Lewis Commits to Kentucky over Duke and UConn, “You Can’t Beat What They Are Doing”

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2025 four-star point guard prospect Acaden Lewis has announced his commitment to Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
UK Athletics

It’s a good start to the weekend as Kentucky basketball has picked up a commitment. 2025 four-star point guard Acaden Lewis from Washington, D.C., announced his commitment to Kentucky on Saturday afternoon, picking the Wildcats over Duke and Connecticut.

Funny enough, during an unofficial visit in Lexington back in June, Mark Pope joked with fans that Lewis was committing to Kentucky. While Lewis didn’t commit that day, Pope was able to seal the deal a few months later.

Why Kentucky?

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“It felt like a community. Pope, he was in the hood with me. He came to my barber shop and everything. It felt like a home. Felt like somewhere I should be. The system is great.”

Lewis joins five-star commits Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson in Kentucky’s class, and helps bolster the Wildcats’ class ranking up to second, only behind Duke. Both players recruited Lewis to join them, with Moreno joining him for part of his official visit to Kentucky back in October, including being featured in his photoshoot. Shortly after the visit, Lewis said in an interview about Kentucky, “You can’t beat what they were doing.”

While Moreno and Johnson were big recruiting victories, they were both players from Kentucky. This is Pope’s commitment from outside of the state, and he went up against the bluest of blue bloods in Duke, UConn, and North Carolina.

Now, can Lewis help Kentucky close the deal on consensus top 10 wing Caleb Wilson? The two have expressed a lot of interest in playing together, and Wilson is aiming to make a decision by December, with Kentucky as one of the two leaders.

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Scouting Report

Lewis is a lefty lead guard who is extremely talented with the ball. He has soft hands and natural touch that are the foundation of a very advanced skill set. His handle is tight, he’s a lay-up maker with both hands, and he has soft floaters and tough pull-ups alike in the mid-range area. While Lewis connected on just 31% of his threes during EYBL play, he’s a much better shooter than those numbers indicate. He made 83% of his free throws, attempted nearly 7 threes per game, and projects as someone who not only has gravity spotting up but can be a movement shooter as well.

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