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Another year, another ridiculous Kentucky class

May 20, 2010, 3:03 AM EDT

30 Comments

The Maui Invitational should send Terrence Jones a gift basket or some kind of “thank you.” He just made their 2010 tournament the must-see event for college basketball’s first month.

Jay LaPrete / AP
Terrence Jones

Jones, a 6-9 forward, spent the last few weeks trying to choose between Washington – where he verbally committed on April 30 – and Kentucky. Wednesday night, he picked the Wildcats, signing a financial aid package and thereby turning any Kentucky-Washington game next season into perhaps the season’s most intriguing game.

Guess which teams are both playing in Maui?

The matchups aren’t set yet, but organizers would be nuts not to have these two play. It’ll be all the media and fans will talk about.

As for Kentucky, Jones’ commitment – he’s not bound to the school in case something changes in the next few months – gives the Wildcats another killer recruiting class. According to Rivals.com’s rankings, that’s four of the top 21 prospects, and three of the top 14. The list:

  • No. 3 overall: Enes Kanter, PF
  • No. 6: Brandon Knight, PG
  • No. 14. Terrence Jones, PF
  • No. 21: Doron Lamb, SG
  • No. 26: Eloy Vargas, PF (transfer from Florida)
  • No. 33: Stacey Poole, SF

Compare that group to last season, when Kentucky coach John Calipari brought recruits ranked 1, 2, 22, 23 and 40th overall.

Better? Worse? The same? That’s for the recruitniks to decide. I’m too busy shaking my head at how Calipari can reel in back-to-back classes like these. That loaded roster is why Jones eventually changed his mind and settled on Kentucky.

“I felt like they played a better schedule and had a lot better team,” Jones told The Oregonian.

If the team is anywhere near as good as last season’s 35-3 squad that reached the Elite Eight, Jones will be right. Then again, if we’re lucky, we’ll know which team is better once Maui rolls around.

Mike Miller’s also on Twitter, usually talkin’ hoops. Click here for more.

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  1. billybill - May 20, 2010 at 4:27 AM

    That’s it.The team is set-for one year.

  2. SOONERMICK - May 20, 2010 at 12:16 PM

    Are we honestly wondering how Calipari is getting the top recruits? Year after year, even at UMASS? It’s all about the $$$$ baby! It’s one thing to be caught cheating once, but he’s been caught so many times it’s ridiculous and yet he still gets the great job and the big bucks because somehow he has convinced the NCAA that he is clean…..besides USC paying off their players this is the biggest cheat out there. Hope it’s worth it Kentucky fans, you lie with dogs, you WILL get fleas and your fleas are coming. When he smells sanctions coming, he will leave and leave you stuck with cleaning up his mess and he will walk off and start over in the pros when that happens. When things die down, he will come back . That’s the way he’s always done it.

  3. tom4nash - May 20, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    SoonerMick, you should actually get your facts straight.
    Calipari, regardless of what you think about him, has never been caught cheating. In fact, it’s a matter of public record that he hasn’t. You can check the NCAA records for disciplinary action, it’s part of the NCAA web site, and you won’t find his name anywhere. They’ve cleared him of any knowledge of the problems at either UMass or Memphis. The problem at Umass you alluded to was, in fact, Marcus Camby signing with an agent during the season. Who turned that violation in to the NCAA? Why none other than John Calipari.
    Calipari is hardly an angel. There are things that he can be legitimately criticized for. UK’s overall GPA for the basketball team in the Spring semester or the unseemly way Cal ran off players to make way for incoming recruits his first year come to mind. Paying off recruits or cheating to sign them? You don’t know that anymore than I do. You have no proof and have presented nothing to prove that he is. Which makes your rant nothing more than ignorance and slander.

  4. SonnerMick Is - May 21, 2010 at 3:35 PM

    an ignorant douchebag……..

  5. tom4nash - May 21, 2010 at 7:39 PM

    I wasn’t going to stoop that low to point that out but if you want to characterize yourself that way then who am I to dispute it?
    Pretty obvious that it’s a pretty accurate description.

  6. Robbie Hauxwell - May 22, 2010 at 2:34 PM

    Huh? I can’t believe the comment I just read.

  7. Rex Chesser - May 22, 2010 at 7:29 PM

    I really enjoyed your article and would like to know if I provide a link back to your site if I can use your article on one of my sites?

  8. New Bernernian - May 23, 2010 at 7:56 AM

    Yeah, we all know about Cal’s Teflon exterior. But please don’t kid yourself about his “innocence”.
    UK will win 30+ games again this year in the SEC, then they will come up against another team in March with seasoned vets and decent talent, and they’ll go home. Again.
    The new reality in elite college basketball is limiting your “one and done” recruits and putting together a team comprised of solid 4 year players, and stars that will give you at least 2-3 years before making the jump.

  9. palminthaleather - May 24, 2010 at 8:09 PM

    This comment pretty much sums up Terrence Jone’s lack of knowledge:
    “I felt like they played a better schedule and had a lot better team,”
    Yeah…the SEC is a better schedule if you consider a better schedule a cakewalk. The Pac-10 was weak one year and it was a big deal. The SEC is weak every year and it isn’t a big deal. Lets get this straight…the SEC puts out 3 good teams MAX every year out of 12 and its a better schedule?
    On another note…if NCAA violations follow you and we pretend that its a duck, then Cal’s a duck. Walks like a duck, smells like a duck, and looks like a duck. He even slicks his hair back to match the sleezy wet duck look…

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  12. sildenafil - May 27, 2010 at 12:54 AM

    Ok here you go, I am going to save you twenty years

  13. ImWhiteWolf - May 28, 2010 at 9:53 PM

    Here’s wondering how long a tradition rich school such as UK will put up with the one and doners. Coach Cal may wear out his welcome sooner than later.
    Duke Blue Devils #1. Yeah.

  14. Truman Wadas - Jun 5, 2010 at 9:06 AM

    After reading the post here I’d like to point out that not all Western methods work, yet we’re so inclined to consider without thinking that they are best and anything else suspect we do not question an alternative? What’s the harm in just seeing what happens? What are you risking- a rash? And exactly how much less risky are putting drugs inside your body going to be?

  15. white ceramic watch - Jun 11, 2010 at 12:54 PM

    Great post! Maybe you should do a follow up article about this?

  16. Carlyn Solas-Casino MD - Jun 11, 2010 at 7:24 PM

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  17. COACH - Jun 12, 2010 at 4:17 PM

    All you freaks that are jealous of the Cats can only envy and trash Cal. Innocent til proven guilty……ever heard of that? He gets the players because they want the NBA route and Cal can sell it because he has done it with past players.
    Team should have been in final four this year but a horrible shooting night and West Va having the best shooting night of their lives meant only an elite 8. Still not bad for a bunch of frosh. Next year the Cats will retain some of the frosh and look out the following year………Nat. Champs!

  18. Junk Coins - Jun 13, 2010 at 4:07 AM

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  19. JHawk - Jun 17, 2010 at 1:16 PM

    Get real. Calipari is dirty and everbody knows it. He has left two programs in shambles and UK is under investigation. Are you kidding? Just not being caught isn’t the same as being innocent. At Memphis a player’s brother flew on a team flight without paying for it which is illegal. And Calipari didn’t know who was on the flight? Give me a break. I don’t care who you are, you don’t get these kind of recruits every year unless there is some cheating going on somewhere. Anybody defending Calipari now is either incredibly naive, incredibly stupid, or a hopeless UK fan.

  20. Phil - Jun 17, 2010 at 5:47 PM

    Pleather-I like the duck analogy. Well spoken. His coaching capability is moderate at best, his recruiting classes are great, and his ring count is ZERO. A great Wooden quote, “talent wins games, intelligence & teamwork win championships.” Don’t listen or look for Cal, Strickland, or the Jones boys to be singing “One Shining Moment” early next April. Goodness and mercy may be following his soul, but investigations and dirt are following his career, not to mention vacated wins. It is what it is. Hasn’t changed in decades.

  21. Cosby - Jun 17, 2010 at 5:50 PM

    Right Noah!

  22. texassmas - Jun 18, 2010 at 1:30 PM

    Okay, okay, Calipari does NOT cheat. Of course, he cannot walk into a building without it being condemned after he leaves as the roof is collapsing. He is okay, but all around him dies a slow death. He is the luckiest single person in the world surrounded by the unluckiest many.

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