Kentucky Wildcats fans have a lot to be excited about in the present, as they’re taking on their hated rival Louisville in the 2012 Final Four, but last night’s McDonald’s All-American Game also might have made UK fans think about the future for a bit.
Usually, you don’t think about next year’s recruiting class until the season is over. However, the way incoming UK freshmen Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress performed in the exhibition brought thoughts of next year here already.
And perhaps it helped in the recruiting of Muhammad Shabazz? Who’s narrowed his college choices down to four.
Muhammad, Goodwin and Poythress in the same recruiting class?
“That’s a great possibility. It would be a really sick trio if I did come to Kentucky. So I’m really looking at that closely, and knowing there’s some really great players going there,” Muhammad said.
Archie Goodwin was Mr. Basketball in the state of Arkanasas, and one of the best perimeter shooters in the nation. Has he used this week as a chance to do any recruiting for UK?
“If a guy who’s being recruited by UK mentions something, I might throw in a little comment, but I’m not going to hound these guys. I know the feeling of hounding someone, and what it’s like to be hounded by the press wanting you to ghere, all these fans wanting you to go there, so I just let them make up their minds for themselves,” Goodwin told the media last night.
“You got Archie that can go down the floor, and jump and double somebody, or take you off the perimeter,” Muhammad said.
To use a hockey term, the “three stars” of the game were Poythress, Goodwin and Muhammad. And many scouts think Poythress had one of the best weeks of all the 24 prep stars here.
“Alex gave us a hard time on the boards with his bug body, and playing the perimeter. At 6-8, he’s very versatile,”ย said Shabazz.
memeber of the national honor society. great at attacking the basket. avergaing over 30 points per game.
If (well more like when, since he’d likely be the #2 overall pick) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist leaves for the NBA, Poythress could slide into that position in 2013. He described why he choose Kentucky:
“It was the best fit for me, I just felt like I could get better there, I feel like I can develop my skills set for the next level.”
In the All-Star game, Poythress had a team high 19 points on 8-12 from the floor.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. Heโs also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
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