Mudiay going to SMU

[FerryFor50]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/could-smu-really-verge-outdueling-kentucky-nation-top-010705020.html

How great would it be for Calipari to miss out on Mudiay and Jones?

[tommy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/could-smu-really-verge-outdueling-kentucky-nation-top-010705020.html

How great would it be for Calipari to miss out on Mudiay and Jones?

Yeah, Kentucky has long been thought to be the leader for Mudiay, but Larry Brown has made up a lot of ground late. I think he's going to pull it off. Calipari, who has known for a long time that getting Tyus is a longshot, has steeled himself to the possibility of missing out on the top two point guards by offering Tyler Ullis, all 5'8" of him, earlier this month. If Mudiay (and Jones) spurn UK, it's not a death blow by any means to the Calipari recruiting train, but I do think other super elite kids, both in this class and those coming up, will realize that there are lots of places that can provide what they're looking for, and that you don't have to go to UK to prove you're top of your class. Cal is still likely to get a very strong 2014 class, but he's going to be down the list some when it comes to point guards if he doesn't land Mudiay. No Mudiay, no Jones, no JaQuan Lyle, if he's considered a point (going to Louisville), no Joel Berry (UNC), and no Josh Perkins. Ullis is ranked below all those guys, and he's tiny. And with Andrew Harrison likely a one-and-done, 2014-15 could be similar to 2012-13 for UK, at least at the point. But that's getting way ahead of ourselves.

Josh Perkins, by the way, is announcing tomorrow. Gonzaga is going to get a good one there. I've seen him play a couple of times, including playing Mudiay even. I think Perkins is underrated.

[Duvall]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/could-smu-really-verge-outdueling-kentucky-nation-top-010705020.html

How great would it be for Calipari to miss out on Mudiay and Jones?

Arguably not as great as Calipari landing Mudiay and dropping out of the Tyus Jones sweepstakes.

[53n206]

Jones not ours yet. Ky will probably be more involved with him, unless there is something unsaid.

[conmanlhughes]

Mudiay, the 2nd best PG in the ESPN 100, announced he will attend SMU.

Linky (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/24/emmanuel-mudiay-top-pg-in-2014-picks-smu-over-kentucky/)

[MarkD83]

You mean there is no last minute phone call from Calipari saying he has let down the entire state of Ky?

[tommy]

You mean there is no last minute phone call from Calipari saying he has let down the entire state of Ky?

Nah. Not this time. I think Calipari saw the handwriting on the wall here. Heck, Mudiay never even took his official visit to UK. That's why Cal recently offered Ullis, who is almost certain to commit there.

[Kedsy]

Nah. Not this time. I think Calipari saw the handwriting on the wall here. Heck, Mudiay never even took his official visit to UK. That's why Cal recently offered Ullis, who is almost certain to commit there.

He'll probably put on a full court press on Tyus, too don't you think?

[tommy]

He'll probably put on a full court press on Tyus, too don't you think?

Yeah, he'll probably try, but I don't think he'll be successful. For one, as I think I've posted here before, Tyus' personality is just not a fit with the culture and image projected by Calipari and Kentucky. He's just a different type of kid. Second, not only would Tyus have to be willing to buy into a place and a style and a culture that appears to be at odds with his personality type and his priorities, but so too would Jahlil Okafor, because those two kids are going to the same school. And third, even Tyus has an ego, as all these kids do, and he knows that Mudiay has been Calipari's focus for a long time. Nobody at this level wants to be anyone's second choice. Which is why Stanley Johnson, who has rocketed up the rankings based on his fantastic summer of AAU and camp ball, and is ranked by some as high as #2 overall in this class -- dropped Duke: he knew Coach K was prioritizing Justise Winslow at that position.

It's true, obviously, that Kentucky is on Tyus' list, and he will be making an official visit there, so there is interest at some level there that is not insignificant. But Duke remains in a very strong position with Jones, and as there is no backup plan, I would expect Tyus to remain #1 on the staff's collective speed dial. They are not going to let him slip away.

[ice-9]

Nah. Not this time. I think Calipari saw the handwriting on the wall here. Heck, Mudiay never even took his official visit to UK. That's why Cal recently offered Ullis, who is almost certain to commit there.

That Ullis kid is pretty good -- lightning quick with great court vision -- that have been climbing the ranks recently. I don't see the Kentucky gravy train going off rails any time soon, though one can certainly hope for a repeat of last season.

[AAA1980]

I still think were good with Jones the only thing that worries me is its clear these "insiders" of hs bball really just throw <redacted> on a wall to see if it sticks and dont know much so the fact that they say were the leaders all along doesnt mean we definitely are..

Mudiay was thought of to be a UK lock or close to it the past year or so then all of a sudden the last 24 hours before he makes a decison they realized he was goingsomewhere else

[Li_Duke]

That Ullis kid is pretty good -- lightning quick with great court vision -- that have been climbing the ranks recently. I don't see the Kentucky gravy train going off rails any time soon, though one can certainly hope for a repeat of last season.

I'm not sure why Ullis would want to go there. At his height, he's likely a 4 year player and would risk getting recruited over every year (though there doesn't appear to be any pure PGs in the top 10 for 2015).