Recruiting analyst Evan Daniels appeared with Larry during a radio show in 2010. (Gary Moyers photo)
By LARRY VAUGHT
Scout.com national recruiting analyst Evan Daniels is busy tracking the top players in the next two — or maybe three — recruiting classes and that means he’s seeing and hearing plenty about Kentucky and coach John Calipari. He shared these thoughts on the recent NBA draft and any possible impact on recruiting.
Question: What does having the top two picks in the draft two months after winning the national title do for Kentucky’s recruiting, or does it do anything ?
Daniels: “At this point, I think Kentucky’s reach a point where it’s somewhat expected for them to turn out pros. Is having the top two picks tremendous? Certainly. But UK’s recruiting has reached a new level. One that I’m not sure can be touched at this point. Four number one recruiting classes in a row, how can you top that?”
Question: Do you anticipate Anthony Davis-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist going one-two impacting any of the 2013 or 2014 recruits?
Daniels: “At the end of the day, every recruits dream is to get to the NBA and to do so as quickly as possible. Recruits seeing how many players are going to the NBA out of Kentucky after one year, I’m sure is noticed. Will it directly impact their decisions? Probably not. But it certainly can’t hurt.”
Question: Did you ever imagine Calipari having quite this kind of success when he came to Kentucky?
Daniels: “I knew he would have success. I don’t think any one could have expected this. John Calipari is recruiting at another level than every coach in college basketball. When it comes to the current landscape of recruiting, there’s John Calipari and then there’s everyone else.”
Question: Any chance Calipari could have three or more first-round picks again next year?
Daniels: “Barring an injury, Nerlens Noel appears to be a lock first rounder. There’s certainly a possibility for more, but I think it’s a little early to speculate on the others.”
10 Responses to Scout.com recruiting analyst Evan Daniels says UK recruiting has reached a new level
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John Wooden won 11 NCAA titles because he recruited the best players year in and year out. Players were on those teams 3-4 years. If Calipari had the same setup, he would be breaking Wooden’s record.
Wooden won 10 of their 11 titles. Another coach won their last one.
I don’t even think about UCLA, I like just Being Kentucky and let the ” Blue Chips fall where they may “…The Kentucky Effect with Coach Cal speaks for itself…or ” itselfless ” !
It has been pretty well-documented that Sam Gilbert was the reason that Wooden won so many championships. It is amazing to me how the media still holds Wooden in such high regard with all the admissions by former players of taking improper benefits, and John Calipari having been cleared by the NCAA of any wrong doing in regards of two players has a stigma attached. It is evident that Cal is running a much cleaner program than Wooden did throughout his championship years.
Wooden was a mediocre coach at best before Sam Gilbert arrived.
You nailed it right there. Wooden coached for decades before he managed to do well at all. He got one good team going and then Gilbert joined the program as Sugar Daddy. After that it was easy to recruit. When you could offer that much money to play plus the national media was kissing their rears 24/7 it wasn’t a hard decision to make for any player. If Gilbert called you answered or at least a lot of great players did. I always thought Walton was a troublemaker when he played at UCLA. He seemed to have a bad attitude. It turned out he didn’t like all the shenanigans going on and he blasted the whole setup not long after leaving LA. He’s the one that let the cat out of the bag.
But there were opposing coaches who knew the score all along. Remember that just 20 miles down the road there was a coach named Tarkanian putting together a pretty good team at Long Beach but he had to compete with the big money and the big media behind UCLA. Plus there was the NCAA on the same team. They obviously turned a blind eye to all the corruption while they blasted UK all the way. They have wanted to take the king’s crown away from UK since the 40′s. They made UCLA the poster child for college basketball. They put them on national tv which was a first time ever event when Houston played UCLA. And wow did it burn them that Houston won that game.
But the NCAA and the media protected their pet school and they still do it. You’ll never hear a mainstream media type mention Gilbert and the outrageous cheating that happened under Wooden. It’s always “Saint Wooden” for them. It makes me want to puke. And speaking of puke they do the same thing for Duke now. The media and the NCAA that is. Look up the Corey Maggette story at Duke and you’ll know why I think that. Admitted contact with an agent and NOTHING was done about it.
Cal is out to destroy the NCAA though and I love him for it. He said before he was done coaching that major college basketball would be under another organization besides the NCAA. I knew then Cal was the second coming of Rupp and that is a mighty good thing. I hope he stays at UK for 25 years and wins 20 championships. We have to let someone else win once in a while or it will be like watching baseball. I guess even the Yankees don’t get to win all of them anymore. There was a time when they did and if they didn’t win it another NYC team did. Sports can get so corrupt it’s sickening. The NCAA is at that point now and I think a lot of people realize it.
It is called a double standard, King. You are right, the schools today that can do no wrong are Duke and UNC.
If you will notice nationally, the negative rhetoric against Cal is starting to subside. Over the last 5 months or so, Nat’l media is starting to tone down their crap about him. It seems to me that they have started to lean more to a neutral type of commentary from an often heard “reference the negative in every article and interview” to not mentioning that stuff as much. I also believe that after Cal wins the next one, we will hear even less. Reporters are starting to cover their a$$ when talking about him. If and when he get’s his third then all of that crap will be in a distant memory and even start to be viewed from our perspective which of coarse is in defense of Cal and the reality of the situations: NCAA is the bad guy.
had not thought about that Juan, but you are right
Worth Repeating….The strength of this Kentucky Program, with Coach Cal at The Head, is magnifying it’s power at every level, from Staff, to Public Relations/social media, from Ball Boy’s and coveted Managers, to Medical and Legal. Couple All That, with Players and Championships, sprinkle in a Following from Big Blue Nation(BBN) and Big Blue International(BBI)…The only thing Left is UKTV, or BBTV (Big Blue TV). Cable access or subscription, The ” captive ” audience is everywhere and Advertisers know it. Add in, the “following”, from the NBA Players and NBA Fans, plus College Basketball Fans in general…Now,” feel the Strength ” of This Kentucky Basketball Program. With this Power and Influence, with a Program That’s doing THE RIGHT THING, The NCAA, is feeling threatened, Now, someone is Watching how THEY OPERATE and The NCAA, ” hypocrisy is, discovered and uncovered. It goes for the Media Also…BBN is watching and we are Very protective of Our Coach and Team !