Kentucky finds itself in an odd place on the national basketball recruiting landscape

The basketball recruiting rankings for the category of 2022 have been finalized, and the Kentucky Wildcats are fairly a bit additional down the listing than regular.

UK holds the No. 10 total spot within the last Recruiting Providers Consensus Index rankings for the 2022 cycle. The RSCI, which has been round since 1998, yearly compiles the nation’s prime recruiting courses. The web site takes participant rankings from a number of main companies and calculates a composite rating for each prime prospect, utilizing a easy components to rank the nation’s prime courses. As soon as the RSCI participant rankings are calculated, the nation’s No. 1 recruit is value 100 factors, with the No. 2 recruit at 99 factors, and so forth.

Jeff Crume, who runs the RSCI website, used 2022 rankings from 247Sports, Rivals.com, ESPN, On3.com and longtime nationwide analyst Van Coleman this yr. Crume famous to the Herald-Chief that that is the primary time Kentucky has ended up outdoors of the highest 5 nationally since John Calipari arrived as this system’s head coach with the 2009 class.

The character wherein the rankings are constructed — together with another variables — led to the comparatively low rating.

Kentucky’s class has simply two prime 100 signees, a significant change from previous years. These two are Cason Wallace, the No. 8 participant within the RSCI rankings, and Chris Livingston, who’s No. 13 on the listing. Late addition Adou Thiero shouldn’t be ranked within the prime 100 nationally.

Livingston was ranked as excessive as No. 10 total (by Rivals) and as little as twenty fourth (by On3), with 4 of the 5 recruiting companies utilized by RSCI placing him within the prime 15.

Wallace had a few main outliers. He’s ranked No. 4 by On3.com, No. 5 by 247Sports, and No. 7 by Rivals, however Coleman put him at No. 18 total and ESPN has him at No. 20 nationally.

Clearly, each are extremely ranked within the grand scheme of issues, however having simply two prime 100 signees hurts Kentucky’s total standing on the RSCI listing. All 9 of the groups forward of the Wildcats in these rankings have a minimum of three prime 100 recruits, with six of these groups having 4 or extra such gamers.

The Shaedon Sharpe saga additionally carried over to the nationwide recruiting rankings. If Sharpe — previously the No. 1 prospect within the 2022 class — had stayed with that group and never enrolled early at Kentucky, his presence within the rankings would have bumped UK as much as No. 4 nationally, only a few factors behind defending nationwide champion Kansas.

Sharpe introduced final week that he would preserve his identify within the 2022 NBA Draft, leaving Kentucky with out enjoying a sport for the Wildcats. So, clearly, his impact on the ultimate recruiting rankings are the least of UK’s considerations there.

Kentucky additionally misplaced a dedication from Skyy Clark, who’s No. 32 on the ultimate RSCI listing, late within the 2022 cycle. (Clark has since dedicated to Illinois). If he had stayed with UK’s class, the Cats would have been No. 5 within the last staff rankings. If Clark and Sharpe had each stayed with UK for the 2022 class, Kentucky would have been No. 2 nationally.

The Wildcats’ class was ranked No. 1 within the nation in every of Calipari’s first 5 recruiting cycles at Kentucky, and their group was both No. 1 or No. 2 yearly beneath Calipari till 2021. Final yr, UK’s class was ranked No. 5 total, a drop from the norm that coincided with a bigger reliance on the switch portal. The Cats’ highschool recruits weren’t as extremely touted, however they did herald Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, Kellan Grady and CJ Fredrick as transfers.

This yr, UK has added only one switch — former Illinois State guard Antonio Reeves — however the Cats have 5 returning contributors from final season’s staff, plus Fredrick, who was pressured to overlook the 2021-22 marketing campaign resulting from harm.

Duke tops the rankings

A well-known identify is again on prime of the RSCI rankings.

The Duke Blue Devils will enter their first season beneath new head coach Jon Scheyer with the No. 1 total recruiting class, thanks largely to commitments from three top-five gamers: Dariq Whitehead (No. 1), Derek Energetic (No. 2) and Kyle Filipowski (No. 4). The Blue Devils even have No. 22-ranked Mark Mitchell and No. 61-ranked Jaden Schutt. (Duke may even welcome late reclassification Tyrese Proctor, who could be one of many prime 25 prospects within the 2022 class however joined the group too late to be added to many of the nationwide rankings).

Within the 14 recruiting cycles that John Calipari has been at Kentucky, the Wildcats have had the No. 1 class within the last RSCI rankings eight instances, whereas Duke has achieved the feat 4 instances. Gonzaga (2021) and Memphis (2019) landed the No. 1 class the opposite two years.

Duke can be trying like an early favourite for the highest class within the 2023 cycle. The Blue Devils have already got commitments from Mackenzie Mgbako — the No. 3 total participant within the rising senior class — in addition to top-25 nationwide recruits Sean Stewart (No. 11), Caleb Foster (No. 16) and Jared McCain (No. 24).

Who’s No. 1 in 2022?

There’s not a lot settlement on the No. 1 participant rating for the 2022 class.

4 totally different excessive schoolers are ranked No. 1 throughout the 5 nationwide lists that the RSCI used to type its consensus. Three of these prospects will play for Duke within the 2022-23 season.

Rivals.com ranks Dariq Whitehead because the No. 1 total participant, whereas On3.com places Kyle Filipowski in that spot, with each ESPN and Van Coleman rating Dereck Energetic on the prime. Arkansas signee Nick Smith Jr. is the No. 1 prospect within the 247Sports rankings. Whitehead is the one participant within the class with a top-five rating from all 5 nationwide recruiting companies.

This class marks the primary time since 1999 that 4 totally different gamers have acquired the No. 1 rating from a minimum of one of many main recruiting companies. In that yr, seven totally different recruiting websites have been used to compile the RSCI rating, and Donnell Harvey, Keith Bogans, LaVell Blanchard and DerMarr Johnson all landed a No. 1 rating from a minimum of certainly one of them.

Bogans, after all, ended up as certainly one of Kentucky’s all-time main scorers. He was the No. 2 total participant within the RSCI rankings that yr. Harvey, who performed one season at Florida, was No. 1. Duke recruit Jason Williams was No. 3 total.

This 2022 class was damage on the prime by the reclassification of Emoni Bates, Jalen Duren, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, any of whom might need been ranked No. 1 nationally in the event that they’d determined to remain on this group.

Arkansas is ranked No. 2

With Duke holding a commanding declare to the No. 1 spot within the 2022 cycle, it’s Arkansas that is available in at No. 2 nationally, one more recruiting coup for Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman.

That is the primary time since 2011 that Arkansas has landed within the prime 10 within the last RSCI rankings and the primary time the Hogs have ever been within the prime 5 within the RSCI, which dates again to 1998.

Musselman, who has been one of many masters of the switch portal in recent times, will herald No. 3-ranked Nick Smith Jr., together with McDonald’s All-Individuals Anthony Black (No. 14), Jordan Walsh (No. 17), prime 100 recruit Derrian Ford, and two different highschool gamers.

Alabama was No. 4 on the ultimate RSCI listing, bolstered by a category that options 4 prime 100 gamers and two five-star recruits — Jaden Bradley and Brandon Miller — who as soon as held Kentucky affords.

Kentucky is the one different Southeastern Convention college within the last rankings.

The whole prime 10, so as: Duke, Arkansas, Kansas, Alabama, UCLA, Southern Cal, Texas, Ohio State, Virginia and Kentucky.