Since the arrival of John Calipari at the University of Kentucky, the ‘Cats and their new head coach have been dominating the recruiting trail like no other program in history.
Not even programs like North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, or UCLA of can boast of these accomplishments, as 2011 prospect Anthony Davis now gives Kentucky its third Top-10 recruit in that class and could very well cement Calipari’s third straight No. 1 recruiting class since coming to the Bluegrass State.
Kentucky’s ’09 class is considered to be one of the best ever, likely on the same playing field as Michigan’s Fab Five recruiting class that brought in the likes of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, and Jalen Rose—all going on to have prosperous NBA careers. Kentucky’s class included John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton—all going in the first-round of the 2010 NBA Draft.
Calipari’s recruiting prowess is well documented and his success occurred long before he came to Lexington. It’s the rate at which he succeeds however, which is so astounding.
After the defection of five players from Kentucky’s 2009-2010 Elite 8 team to the NBA, many around the nation thought the ‘Cats would be unable to replicate the same success during the 2010-2011 seasons. That’s currently up for debate due to the fact that Calipari brought in another No. 1 recruiting class in 2010—his second straight—led by all-world player Enes Kanter and McDonald’s All-American Brandon Knight.
The 2010-11 seasons still have yet to get under way, but one thing is clear: John Calipari is the best recruiter in the nation.
With the immense success he’s having, Calipari now has the chance to secure his third straight No. 1 recruiting class with the commitment of Davis, who has rocketed up the recruiting rankings this summer.
Currently ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the ’11 class according to Rivals.com, Davis was a relative unknown in the recruiting world just months ago. Due to his stellar play this summer, many believe Davis could move ahead of Michael Gilchrist, a future teammate and the No. 1 ranked player at the moment.
Along with Davis and Gilchrist is Marquis Teague, a point guard out of Pike High in Indianapolis who is expected to once again continue the lineage of superb Calipari point guards. With the No. 1, No. 5, and No. 8 ranked players set to bring their talents to Kentucky for the 2011 season, Kentucky is on their way to securing the program’s third straight No. 1 ranked recruiting class.