Calipari says “we hear ‘No’ a lot”
Drew did a great job of hitting on the highlights from John Calipari’s press conference earlier. If you don’t believe me, scroll down. If you do believe me, scroll down a little further to see one of the best headlines you’ll see all day about a mayor. Anyway, John Calipari had a few other interesting tidbits to share during the SEC teleconference, and one of them was about recruiting at Kentucky. Despite a non-stop string of #1 recruiting classes since his arrival, Calipari admits that it’s not always positive news when the phone rings and it’s a recruit on the other end.
‘If you think we get everyone we want, you’re out of your mind. We hear ‘no’ a lot.”
I don’t know if I put much weight in the use of “a lot,” but we have seen Kentucky miss on a few prospects over the years that Calipari and his staff would have really liked. Last year’s recruiting missed on perhaps more than usual. Here are the top 3 players I can recall Kentucky wanting and not getting (feel free to add to the list) in recent years:
Andrew Wiggins
Shabazz Muhammad
Alex Oriakhi
59 Comments for Calipari says “we hear ‘No’ a lot”
Anthony Bennett
Xavier Henry
Xavier Henry
Mitch McGary
Jai Lucas
#5, that was from the BCG era… unless you’re just being cheeky. 🙂
Aaron Gordon
Amile Jefferson
Jabari Parker
Cj Leslie
#10, almost listed him too… still not sure how much we backed off him or he backed off us
Weren’t we also sort of hoping for Jarnell Stokes?
Leslie, shavazz, irving, Jefferson, Bennet, Barnes, Gordon, there’s a bunch really…who cares though we get the best regardless
Will Barton, Tobias Harris, perhaps Kyrie Irving
Right on 14
We had Stokes, but he wanted to enroll and play in January and we didn’t have the scholly available until the fall
Tom Crean hears “No” even more from recruits… and not in regard to signing a letter of intent
Andre Drummond
Montrezl Harrell
Trevor Lacey, could have been big this past year
I think we cooled on Bennett. Alo, I dont know about Gordon- If you tell a kid that you have basically one spot for two players and that kid senses he is “option #2,” then is it really miss. I would add the Lyons kid from Xavier to this list- I think he ended up at zona.
Me.
Kaleb Tarczewski (sp?)
I tell him no all the time.
I know I’m biased: If you’re a kid, you would have to be totally insane to say no to UK. Hence the word kid: they don’t have the ability to see the big picture. We think Harrow was a problem, we dodged a huge bullet on Shabazz !!
#24, pending the safe return of the tupperware
I know he doesn’t hear that from mcDonald’s druve thru
27 that’s bc you work there
Where did Lacey end up transfering to?
left a r out!
#29 NC State
Harris to me was the biggest surprise.
Bennett would have made the biggest difference
Montrezl Harrel, would have been a huge pick up. Hated to see him go to the cards but can’t deny he would have been a season changer last year.
Perry Ellis would have been a nice grab.
Perry Ellis. Cal was after him for a long time and wanted him just as bad as any recruit in last years class not named Noel or Shabazz. Can’t win them all…..
As long as we pick up 5-7 top rated recruits each year, it doesn’t matter to me. Chemistry is what counts.
Andrew Wiggins
Shabazz Muhammed
Adreian Payne
Montrezl Harrel
Chane Behanan
Tobias Harris
Trevor Lacey
Perry Ellis
Mitch McGary
Amile Jefferson
DeAndre Daniels
Tony Wroten
Royce White
Josh Selby
Kyrie Irving
Will Barton
C.J. Leslie
Terrence Ross
Xavier Henry
So yea there has been a lot
OMG I can’t believe Cal doesn’t sign every single prospect in the top 25!
DaJuan Coleman
36 Cal never went after Wroten it was the other way around.
I think the better question is whether he means “no” on a kid’s final decision or “no” as in “I’m not interested in playing at your school.” (pre-decision).
To me, I’ve always felt like it was the case that Cal scrutinized the players in the top 30(ish) and then would go after his top ten. The way things are going, he would get like 4-8 of them. But I wonder how many kids he talks to about UK, where he just gets shot down. I gotta think not very often.
Montez Harrell & Anthony Bennet if we actually had them last year who knows what would have happened
How’d that turn out for ’em? Oriachi won’t get drafted…..Shabazz will fall out of the top 5 (and maybe the top 10)…..and Andrew Wiggins will get picked behind Randle. #KentuckyEffect
Biggest misses were Irving, Wiggins, Muhammad, Harrel, Bennett, and Jabari Parker in my opinion. All would have been game changers
28 – I agree 27’s comment stinks but yours…really
Your insulting people that work at McDonald’s?
Biggest miss was Lossing Dakota Eaton after all the hard work Billy G put into him….GOSH
Cal stopped recruiting Jabari Parker months ago, he was going all-in on Wiggins, who was his biggest “miss” to date.
Irving – wasn’t really an option, in the mix due to Rod Strickland’s relationship but that kid was Duke bound…we got Knight and it ended up better for us
Bennett – Florida and UK backed off due to academics from the SEC…no issue with UNLV, worked for all involved
Josh Selby? – is this a joke?
True misses (top 5-10 players Cal ususally gets): Wiggins, Bazz, Ellis, Henry…interesting Self has snagged 3 of those.
Harrell wouldve been a lottery pick this year under Cal…going to Pitino cost him at least part of a lucrative pro career, but know surprise there.
47 no*
Cal is an NIT clown
How can he not make an NCAA Tournament in a year with so many weak teams?
He should spend time coaching and less time on his Vespa
Jabari Parker never seemed like a possibility to me. I think the biggest whiff for Cal was Wiggins, for sure. A year ago he was a lock. Kansas seemed to just swoop in out of nowhere. Good thing we have a crazy talented team this year, shouldn’t hurt us too much. Okay, that’s really the last time I want to even mention Wiggins. We have a historic class of great kids that deserve our attention, let the guys who didn’t want to come to UK regret their decision come draft day.
Shabazz
Wiggins
Karen Sypher
Konnor Tucker
KC Ross-Miller
Garrett Stutz
Vinny Zollo
CJ Villareno
Michael Avery
Rotnei Clark
Trae Golden
Matt Pilgrim (post beast)
Ricardo Ledo
Terrence Ross, Tony Wroten
Paul McCoy
Hank Thorns
Maurice Sutton
Garret Stutz
Ralph Sampson Jr
Ryan Harrow
Matt Trabenski
Dusty Mills
Landon Sloan
Mike Williams
Donald Williams
Keven Galloway.
Dwight Perry
Jarod Carter
Micheal Porter
I think Mitch McGary was a huuuge miss by Cal. The way he dominated late last year, I think he’d have done even better under Cal.
CJ Leslie – UK said no after Jones committed – Jones then switched at his presser to Wash, as we all know.
Shabazz – sorry, but he told the staff he was coming; daddy interfered there and that’s fact. Not a “miss” by Cal at all.
Bennett – UK backed off b/c he wouldn’t release his transcripts; UNLV was the only school getting that kid, shady as hell grades.
Wroten – UK didn’t want him; kid wanted to go to UK w/ his boys Teague and MKG, Cal wanted none of that head-case.
Selby – Cal chose Knight over Selby very early on.
Some of you really think Cal “missed” on these guys? Do you know how to use the Internets and message boards to get some updates? Sheesh.