From: suffridge@ncrcol.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Rick Suffridge)
Subject: Re: Recruiting News Here and There
Organization: NCR MCPD Columbia SC.
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 92 13:44:46 GMT

jdt29225@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jazzy J ) writes:
: jb118@prism.gatech.EDU (Jeffrey N. Burch) writes:
: 
: >Pitino and company were very high on Burton, but once they got a solid
: >verbal commitment from Jeff Sheppard, they toned down their efforts for
: >Darnell by a couple of orders of magnitude.  Pitino said something 
: >about not wanting to "stockpile" players at any position, and yet UK
: >has had enough injuries and graduations that you'd think he wouldn't
: >mind getting someone of Burton's obvious quality.  
: 
: 	Not to mention -- I think it's important that UK land a player
: 	within the Lexington area.  Not since Mel Turpin/Leroy Byrd has
: 	UK landed the best players from Lexington!  (I'm not counting Sean
: 	Sutton for obvious reasons).  For instance, there was Darrin Horn
: 	from Tates Creek, and he ended up at Western.  Stewart ended up
: 	at UTEP, and Steve Miller (a Mr. Basketball) went to Western!
: 	Frank Kornet from Catholic went to Vandy, and Michael Allen all the
: 	way to SW Louisiana (via Georgia & JUCO).  Lots of talent -- and
: 	I'm sure all were interested in UK, except that UK didn't recruit
: 	them.  Burton is a bona-fide star -- and even if they did already
: 	land Shepard -- if UK passes on Burton, U'd have to wonder if they
: 	would EVER land another local product.
: 

    Of the players you mention, none of them were rated in the top 50
 prospects and I believe only Stewart was among the top 100.  Miller,
 though a Mr. Basketball, was a bust at Western.  IMHO Horn is not a
 UK-caliber talent, Kornet developed into a far better player by his
 senior year at Vandy than most people expected (he was even drafted 
 by and played for the Milwaukee Bucks), and Allen came out in a year
 when UK was loaded with guards and was an academic question mark. 
 I don't really fault UK for not recruiting these players.  Burton,
 however, is a top 30 player and, as you say, "a bona-fide star". 
 I have heard a rumor from some people in Lexington that it is 
 questionable whether he will meet prop 48 eligibility requirements
 and that caused UK to back off him in favor of Shepard.  In
 general I think that UK should offer a scholarship to any in-state
 player rated in the top 50 (maybe even top 100) unless there are
 known personal problems (Carlos Turner) or a questionable attitude
 (Andy Penick).  The problem with Burton, though, is that UK really
 does not have any scholarships to offer.  They have 13 players on
 scholarship this year, with only Brown and Braddy graduating and
 McCarty and Shepard slated to join the team next year.  Thus unless
 Mashburn goes pro or someone transfers there are no more scholarships
 to give!  If a scholarship does open up, UK needs frontcourt players
 more than guards.

: >Considering the UK weakness at center, I'd have thought he'd have 
: >"stockpiled" as many good players there as he could get his hands on.
: >Everyone keeps saying that McCarty and Dent are fine players, but Dent
: >is new and McCarty won't play until next year, so I'd still like to see
: >the Wildcats land a world-class center.
: 
: 	Come to think of it -- I can't remember the last "world-class"
: 	center who came to UK.  Perhaps the closest thing to one was
: 	Sam Bowie.  But since, UK has tasted people like Rob Lock, Cedric
: 	Jenkins, and the like.  Not bad players -- but hardly world-class.
: 
   Don't forget Mike Scott :-).  LeRon Ellis was supposed to be a "world-
 class" center when he was recruited, but then came probation and he went
 to Syracuse and never really lived up to his potential.  Shawn Kemp was
 also "world-class" but he was more a power forward than a center.  
-- 
Richard D. Suffridge     803-791-6491     | 1991 value of 1960 federal tax
NCR E&M Columbia- 3500 Module Development |  personal exemption : $7000
<Rick.Suffridge@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>       |    
<...uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!rick.suffridge>   | 1991 personal exemption : $2150
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college