Already loaded UK recruiting class is going to get even more special soon

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John Calipari, left, and assistant Jai Lucas, right, watched Cason Wallace work out Thursday. (Mallory Derrick/Richardson Talon News)

Kentucky already has the No. 1 ranked 2022 basketball recruiting class with commitments from Shaedon Sharpe, Chris Livingston and Skyy Clark, all top 15 recruits with Sharpe ranked No. 1. However, don’t be surprised to see John Calipari continue adding to this class.

“It is going to be a special class, definitely one for the record book,” said Kenny Clark, Skyy’s father.

So how many players might end up in this class?

“It will be an amazing five-man class,” Kenny Clark said. “I just can’t say who the five are.”

Texas guard Cason Wallace, another top 10 player, seems to be a Kentucky lean. He also has Tennessee, Texas, and UT San Antonio in his final four.

“He brings it on both sides of the ball. He is a special talent,” Kenny Clark said. “He is somebody that would be a compliment and bring a lot of assets to any team he’s on.

“That dude can flat play. He is just an amazing two-way player and those are rare nowadays.”

Rivals.com basketball writer Krysten Peek calls Wallace a “prolific scorer” at the high school level.

“He can score off the drive or from midrange. He has great court sense and a really high basketball IQ,” Peek said. “He is a great player.”

Also guard Nick Smith, a top 10 recruit, recently called off a visit to UK and took the Cats off his final list — an indication the rumors about Wallace coming to Kentucky are true.

Another top 10 player on Kentucky’s radar is 6-9 center Adem Bona, a top 10 player in the 247Sports rankings. He’s considered a Kentucky lean by many recruiting analysts but also has offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Kansas, UCLA, and the Australian NBL. He is scheduled to visit UK Oct. 1 and his final visit is scheduled to be to UCLA on Oct. 22.

It seemed likely that Bona might commit to UK after his visit to Kentucky and that would rule out 7-1 Dereck Lively, the No. 2 player in the recruiting class behind Sharpe. He’s narrowed his college options to Duke, North Carolina, Michigan, Florida State, Penn State and USC.

However, Lively had indicated he would probably wait until spring before announcing Friday that he will now commit Monday. He’s also strongly considering Duke but the buzz now has him headed to UK and that would give UK four top 10 players in the 2022 class along with Clark, who has top 10 talent.

Skyy Clark was the first commitment in the UK recruiting class and immediately started lobbying for Sharpe, a long-time friend, and others to join him at UK.

“Nobody we get will be a surprise,” Kenny Clark said. “Skyy has been talking to a number of guys for a while now. They all converse with each other and nobody who commits is going to be a surprise to us.”

Kenny Clark says his son, a point guard, and Sharpe, a wing, will fit together well.

“What one lacks, the other is strong in,” Kenny Clark said. “They can play off each other. They are both very good. You can’t really key on either one of them or you will get hurt. It’s a match made in heaven because both are so efficient. They compliment each other well as do the rest of the guys coming in.”

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