Kentucky Sports Radio

During the Best Buy Classic in Chicago this weekend, Rivals.com’s Corey Albertson took a look at some of the lesser-known high school players that could see their stocks rise in the coming future.  Some of the names on the list you might recognize, and some might be completely new.  One thing’s for sure though: where there’s recruiting information, there’s a UK fan eager to hear it.  Many of the prospects don’t have Kentucky on their list, and a few have already committed to other schools.  There are three, though, who have named Kentucky as being a school of interest as they go through the recruiting process.  Each of these three guys has UK somewhere on their list:

-Ray Kasongo – 6-foot-8, PF, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, 2014: Kasongo is a native of the Toronto area who is relatively unknown in the United States. Currently staying in Kentucky and enrolled at Oak Hill Academy for next school year, the powerful forward is a standout for Ohio Basketball Club. Kasongo is a high-level athlete who can attack defenders off the bounce from the wing or score in traffic with physicality. He displayed toughness, a high motor and some serious raw potential in two Saturday outings. Right now he has interest from DePaul, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Indiana, UCLA and Kentucky, while his AAU coaches expect him to really raise his stock during the July period.

-Austin Nichols - 6-foot-8, PF, Eads (Tenn.) Briarcrest Christian, 2013: Nichols is a great athlete who plays with a high-running non-stop motor. He’s deceptively skilled out of the low or mid post, can play in the pick and roll and finishes at a high rate around the rim. While he’s still somewhat raw with his skill game, he makes plays as a rebounder and a defender, where he can block shots as a high leaper who gets off the floor quickly. The forward from M33M Elite also shows a good feel for the game and has a high ceiling as he continues to improve. Nichols recently added offers from Duke and North Carolina, and he also is being recruited by Florida, Louisville, Kansas, Memphis and Tennessee.

-Robert Hubbs - 6-foor-5, SG, Newbern (Tenn.) Dyer County, 2013: An explosive scorer with big-time leaping ability and feathery touch on his jumper out to the three-point line, the wing from M33M Elite went for big numbers on Saturday. Hubbs is an aggressive slasher who can jump over defenders and adjust his body through contact to score the basketball in the paint. He has a high-arcing jumper, which he has great confidence in, and is a true triple threat with the ball. Hubbs needs to continue to improve his handle and off-ball play, but the four-star guard is one of the top pure scoring talents in the class of 2013. Hubbs lists Memphis, Missouri, Florida, Kentucky and Duke as the top schools recruiting him.

Will we hear more about these guys as the summer progresses?  Who, if any, will be the first to get that elusive offer from Cal?  Will Bryant McIntosh still have that baby face by this time next year?  All very relevant questions, and all merit an observing eye as the scramble for 2013 talent gets underway this offseason.  The best players will make names for themselves, and we’ll be watching to see just who is able to do that.

Personally, though, I like Nichols the best.