Ever since John Calipari took the job at the University of Kentucky all the big time high school basketball players have went his way. I mean why wouldn’t you want to play for Cal? He’s produced more NBA draft picks over the years than any other coach and just a couple weeks ago one of his former players (Anthony Davis) locked up the richest contract in the NBA worth 145 million for 5 years. So that leads me to everyone’s question, why are big time players now going Dukes way?
Last season coach K and Duke decided that the way to win in college basketball now a day is to recruit the one and dones. So they went out and got future lottery picks Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor and the top point guard of the 2014 class Tyus Jones. From the beginning of the season to the very end when they beat Wisconsin for the title the Duke Blue Devils were dominant. Coach K took his first major one and done class and won the national title with ease.
In the recruiting class of 2015 Duke has picked up 4 5 star recruits and Kentucky has picked up 2. Many websites have Duke with the number 1 recruiting class in the NCAA but in others Kentucky is number 1. I think this recruiting battle will change the landscape of college basketball as it’ll make kids coming out of high school think “do I want to go to Kentucky where Calipari has proven he can make me an NBA player and get the big contracts or go to Duke and have a chance to play for the greatest coach of all time and maybe win a title”.
If you are a fan of college basketball like me you are looking forward to Duke vs Kentucky in November. It doesn’t matter if you like either one of these teams, just watch the game for the simple fact that there will probably be at least 3 or 4 lottery picks going at it in early November.
Duke and Kentucky have been rivals ever since 1992 when Duke hit “the shot”. Now after almost 20 years it is being revamped and better than ever. College basketball is better when both programs are great.
