2011-2012 Kentucky Wildcats Recruiting

Since John Calipari has come to Kentucky his recruiting classes have been amazing. In his first year he had John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe. Also In this class was Darnell Dodson and Daniel Orton. I feel that with proper playing time these players would have been great. The next year he had Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, and though he played little, Stacey Poole. Also in this class was EnesKanter. He was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for receiving improper benefits playing in Turkey. He would have been an amazing player. The biggest stage he was on in the US was the Nike Hoop Summit. In this game he scored 34 points and grabbed 13 boards. For the 2011-2012 season Coach Cal has brought in another great class. Here is a closer look at what is being called by some Cal's best class yet.

First off there is Anthony Davis. He is a Power Forward from Chicago. He was a 6'3" guard and a little known recruit until he grew 7 inches. He will be one of the most versitale players in college basketball. He is very productive and a great shot blocker. His wingspan is 7'4". His stats as a senior were 32.0 PPG, 22.0 RPG, and 7.0 Blacks per game. In only two games in his senior seeason did he have less than 10 rebounds and posted double-doubles in all but one game. A negative is he needs to put on more weight. With the sudden height difference he hasn't had time. Look for him to dominate at Kentucky, where freshmen play alot.I look for him to stay until he wins a national championship.

Next there is Michael Gilchrist. He is a small forward from Somerdale, New Jersey. He started as the best player of the 2011 class, he is now ranked 3rd overall by ESPN. Gilchrist is 6'7". As a senior he averaged 19.4 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 6.3 APG, 5.2 blocks, and 3.5 steals. Gilchrist is competitive and wants to dominate the court in every way. DraftExpress.com says: "Michael Gilchrist would likely be able to hold his own right now already defending NBA small forwards. I believe Gilchrist will leave after one year. His mother grew up across the street from William Wesley, a.k.a. Worldwide Wes, and it is rumored that she made him commit to Kentucky because of her friendship with Wesley and Wesley's friendship with John Calipari.

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Next is Marcus Teague. He is a point guard from Indianapolis. He is the 1st point guard and 7th player overall. He is a scoring point guard. Kentucky had success with a scoring point guard last year. Teague is the brother of Jeff Teague who is in the NBA. Marcus Teague is fast and gets to the rim at will. He is hard to guard in transition and he can finish with contact. He can't shoot the three very well. As a senior he averaged 22.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 4.2 RPG. I think he will stay more than one year unless Cal pushes him to leave.

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Anthony Davis (32) who has committed to Kentucky plays in the 2011 McDonalds All American game in Chicago, Ill.

Last, and yes least, Kyle Wiltjer. Wiltjer is the lowest ranked player in Kentucky's class this year. He is a 6'9" power forward. What I have seen from him in the all-star games is that he isn't physical enough. He is a great shooter. He will fit well with Calipari's dribble drive offense. He has great post moves and will be hard to guard. I think he will get many mismatches because of his ability to shoot from outside. He needs to work on foot speed and quickness soon. When he gets faster and quicker he will be better. As a senior he averaged 19.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG as a senior. I think he will have no chance of leaving early due to playing time. Terrence Jones, Michael Gilchrist, and Athony Davis will all be above him, Darius Miller may be above him also.

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This could be Kentucky's best recruiting class yet. With with players like Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones returning will make this nearly unstoppable. No player in this class is outside of the top 20. Beware of Kentucky next year.

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