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Just as I suggested he should do after he made a recent appearance on “Sports Talk with Dan Issel & Mike Pratt” on ESPN radio in Louisville, Kentucky coach John Calipari went back on air with the two former UK All-Americans Monday morning to share a variety of news with UK fans.
He said he had “one commit” for the Kentucky basketball roster without specifying who it might be because he cannot discuss players until they have signed with Kentucky.
“We’ve got another guy committed. He’s going to announce here shortly. We’ve got a kid whose mother and the kid, ‘I’m gonna do this.’ All that and ’23 looks — we’re ahead of the game,” Calipari said.
Since Pennsylvania high school senior guard Adou Thiero just visited Kentucky and posted on social media that he would make his college choice Sunday on Mother’s Day, which is also his birthday. Kentucky is one of his final schools and his father, Almamy, played for Calipari at Memphis.
The 6-5 guard has been a late riser and while he’s not a top 10 player, he could be a very solid long-term player for the Cats — something that Calipari probably needs to add to his roster for stability and depth. He got his scholarship offer from UK on March 26 after Calipari came to watch him play.
He also visited Pittsburgh, Maryland and Xavier but 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions have three recent picks for Kentucky, including one from the very reliable recruiting analyst Travis Branham.
Calipari told Issel and Pratt he expects to have nine or 10 scholarship players on the 2022-23 roster — which is about average for him because he prefers not to play more than seven or eight players.
Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, CJ Fredrick, Jacob Toppin, Daimion Collins, Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, Lance Ware and Antonio Reeves gives UK nine scholarship players. Thiero would make 10.
Toppin is still going through the NBA Draft process but Calipari sounded confident he would be back, especially with the recent decision by Keion Brooks to transfer.
“I like this roster. I believe he’ll be back but we’ll have to wait and see, but I believe he’ll be back,” Calipari said about Toppin before rattling off the list of others he’s counting on listed above. “I mean, come on. I’m like saying, let’s go. Let’s play the game.”
