Noel to Kentucky

Today, Nerlen Noel, who has been rated #1 by ESPN in terms of high school recruits, has committed to the University of Kentucky, joining the reigning national champions. The signing also has given Kentucky the #1 recruiting class in the nation, again, as ranked by ESPN.

The signing is huge for the Wildcats. The champs are most likely losing their biggest weapons from this past season, Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, to the NBA, and this commit is a major get to ensure that the program remains a national championship contender.

For me though, U can't help but feel skeptical. Honestly, I'm always skeptical whenever it comes to John Calipari and his penchant for landing major recruits.

To be fair, I don't think that my skepticism is unwarranted. Yes, the guy has won everywhere that he has been, but look at the trail of destruction that he has left in his wake. He took UMass to the Sweet Sixteen before leaving the program. The year after he left, it was revealed that there were some illegal recruiting going on, and penalties were handed down to the program, as well as the vacation of their Sweet Sixteen.

Then, Calipari moved on to Memphis, where he took that team to the National Championship game, losing in an absolute classic to Kansas. Once again, Calipari moved on to bigger and better things, and soon after he left, word that the star player of that Memphis team, Derrick Rose, was illegally recruited, and again, penalties were handed down and wins were vacated.

So here is John Calipari at Kentucky, and it has gotten to the point where it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will recruit the best players in the country every year. First is was John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Then it was Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Now it is Nerlen Noel.

The fear that I have is that the story of Kentucky will be the same as UMass and Memphis. Everything is going well until Calipari feels the feds bearing down on him, which will lead him to made the jump into the NBA and leave Kentucky to take the fall. Wins and now championships will be vacated, and off goes Calipari with almost no repercussions.

Now, I may be completely wrong on this and maybe Calipari is just a masterful recruiter the likes of which the NCAA has rarely, if ever, seen before. But then again, maybe I'm not. I guess only time will tell.