UNC 247 reported so it’s legit. HGN has said for awhile we’d probably get a visit. Visiting Georgetown weekend before then UNC again after. In all likelihood this is final due diligence before committing to UNC so keep expectations very low.
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For a 5☆ about to commit, news sure is minimal on Johnson.
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Maybe that’s the biggest hint he’s a TB/Pillars guy.
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I take that as a good sign
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Yea, if no other schools are talking about him that’s a real good sign because you know we’re not going to hear from UVA
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I’d much rather have radio silence than hear that he’s going to announce on ESPN
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I’m sure that Kentucky will take multiple guards in 2023 but this definitely can’t hurt our chances with Sheppard.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10015089-5-star-guard-prospect-cason-wallace-commits-to-kentucky-over-utsa-tennessee-texas
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Likely one and done with no impact on 23 recruits.
You’re right- thought it said he was 2023
How much hope was UTSA holding out Wallace would choose them? Seems like an odd school mixed in with the others.
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As much as Indiana State with Trey Kaufman. Lol
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This is just my opinion, but I am skeptical that Sheppard’s decision, if it comes down to Kentucky or Virginia, will be based on either roster’s makeup. I suspect that Virginia and Kentucky are selling very different visions to Reed Sheppard. Very different. Neither of those visions will be based on competition for playing time, IMO. Additionally, I think it is worth noting how few prospects have been pursued, seriously, by both schools. I believe this is for two related reasons. First, both Coach Bennett and Coach Calipari are quite proficient at identifying recruits who fit their visions, and the two are very different visions. Second, it is a self filtering process, too. Recruits are drawn to programs which fit them, too. I think Sheppard’s case is unique. If he weren’t a legacy, and if he weren’t from Kentucky, this recruitment might be a contest between UVa and Ohio State. Kentucky is still the favorite, but things could get interesting.
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To quibble a bit: paraphrasing Mr. Whitman, we contain multitudes. Juzang is one prominent example of someone in the overlap of the Venn diagram. Some kids might like what both of them are selling.
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That’s some next-level thinking there. Won’t find that kind of intellectual commentary on a VPI board.
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I am unsure that Juzang represents much in the way of an exception. Admittedly, he was pursued by both schools briefly, but, ultimately, after reclassifying, he chose Kentucky. I suspect it was a case of “fast track to the pros” or “development”, although Virginia did have immediate needs. Additionally, I imagine that his transfer to UCLA was as much a search for the promised playing time as it was homesickness.
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Sure – the rule is you have to pick one (at a time). To go back to your previous point (paraphrasing), that Sheppard wouldn’t be on KY’s radar or vice/versa, but for the legacy connection, I agree, but funny things happen once connections are made that way. Ultimately Sheppard will have to pick one, too, but I just recoil at the Manichean nature of this. Is he a Cal guy, or a Tony guy? Ultimately, they’re both doing 95% the same stuff, even though the marketing is much different. (My view is that Cal is ultimately just a really good college coach who tries to market his program as a really good NBA springboard, but I haven’t seen the evidence for that.)
re: 95% the same stuff – I should clarify that I mean in terms of teaching and developing the kid once he’s there. The big difference, IMO, is their approach to roster construction. So, since that’s the big difference, that’s where I’d tell the kid (if he ever asked my opinion, which I know is silly) to focus. Who are you going to play with? What happens if you don’t pop right away? Are you a building block, or a “nice to have” piece? Etc.
If you want to see a guy with similar KenPom O/D profiles to Tony, you could do worse than Cal…
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Yea when it comes to the actual basketball being played Cal has the most similar style
to Tony out of the blue blood coaches.
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I remain a bit skeptical of your view. As far as Xs and Os go, I imagine you’re right. The fundamentals are much the same. However, where Cal is selling “Pro days”, lottery pick opportunities, and luxury apartments, Coach Bennett is selling the Five Pillars, which also include academic responsibility. I think that these are two very different visions being offered to prospects, and the choice between the two is very telling. If nothing else, I do wonder what Calipari’s requirements are regarding classroom attendance. Regardless, I think the set of recruits drawn to that which Kentucky is offering, and the set which finds Virginia appealing are mostly different without much of an intersection.
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We don’t do a pro day, but Tony is very much selling pro opportunities and the opportunity to go in the lottery, or I’ve misunderstood the reason every 6’7" recruit mentions Dre as someone Tony compared him to. Heck, maybe we should do a pro day. (But not until we stream the B/W game…)
I want to pause a bit here, b/c I’m being a bit of a contrarian. The reason I’m being a bit of a contrarian is that I think to a certain extent, we have to beat Cal at his own game. He’s pitching the NBA – we shouldn’t back down. “Hey, look what we did for Dre and Trey. Or Ty. Those guys weren’t first rounders when they came here.” Or even audience – “Rupp is cool, but you’ll play every home game in front of 15k, and every game period on national TV.” But here’s my non-contrarian thought: Tony is a really good dude, and that plays out in how he deals with roster management. Training camp and practice is competitive but this isn’t the Hunger Games. Your teammates will support you, not worry that you’re taking shots away from them. Show a concrete way of how the Pillars play out on the team and Reed’s role in it. (I.e., show, not tell). So it’s not really pitch Pillars v. Roster, it’s pitch how the Pillars play out in the program.
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It is if you brush off the real life examples of guys seriously interested in both like Juzang. Or Sheppard. Or Kellan Grady as a transfer. Or (though it didn’t work out for the guy) SKJ.
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