Kentucky recruit Malik Monk (Photo : Twitter)
The NCAA is down to the Final game between North Carolina and Villanova with the nation's top recruiting school gone as early as the second round.
Coach John Calipari, the game's most impressive recruiter, failed to translate his talent collection to actual tournament success. However, there is not too much time to weep in Lexington as arguably the top recruiting class in the nation will represent the Big Blue Nation next season.
In a recent feature of ESPN Insider on college teams' chances to return to the tournament, Kentucky, a no.4 seed who would probably lost the most players to the NBA, will reload immediately.
There are definite losses for them. Alex Poythress is a senior-a rarity for Kentucky, but they also have some one-and-done players in guard Jamal Murray, projected at the 6-10 range and Skal Labissiere. The latter was once a candidate for the first overall pick but his stock dropped with a shaky start. He redeemed himself enough to be projected in the late lottery or mid first round. Point guard Tyler Ulis may also take the leap as he is projected late in the first round.
But the recruiting class is the stuff of dreams for other college coaches. They are loaded with talented recruits at each position: Bam Adebayo(4th) at forward/center, DeAaron Fox and Malik Monk at guard (ranked 7th and 8th in the ESPN 100) and Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya Jones at forward. All except Jones are five-star recruits.
With three players in the top ten, Kentucky could have another title run, but other teams are not as fortunate.
The California Golden Bears also had two top 10 recruits in 2015 with Jaylen Brown (4th) and Ivan Rabb (8th). However, the team lost to Hawaii in the opening round. It's likely to end their college careers as NBA scouts have their eyes on the two.
In the California recruit and return review, they projected that both Brown and Rabb will make the jump. Brown was one of the more versatile talents entering college but he was criticized as being too raw. Sportscasters like Bill Simmons suggested that he return another season and Coach Cuonzo Martin is hoping he would take that advice.
That's unlikely to happen as Brown could go as high as 4th and not seen to stay on the board beyond the 8th pick. Martin failed to replicate his 2015 feat-a rarity for the team as he failed to land an ESPN 100 player this year.
