What went wrong for Cal and Kentucky?

[Illmatic12]

Kentucky has always landed star recruits through.. legally questionable means.

As someone mentioned UK basketball is currently being investigated by the FBI for illegal recruiting practices (players like Kevin Knox, Bam Adebayo have been named in the reports) and at the moment it's going to be a no-fly zone until things clear up.

[Triples333]

They're still at the very top of the NCAA and favorites to be in the Final 4, so, not much.

[LibertyPrime]

Frank Kaminsky.

Yes, I know what the question is, but dammit..... Frank Kaminsky.

Dude, you good?

I'm good. Not Frank Kaminsky good, but... good.

[Cavsfansince84]

I think his lack of results in the tourney sort of caught up to him while recruits are more aware of the influence coach K has among pros and stuff like that. I also agree that coach K is prob going harder after these guys than he used to.

[DeathLineup]

What went wrong for Cal and Kentucky? They used to be the recruiting powerhouse. They used to have all the nation top recruits. Now they basically have nothing. Duke led by Coach K is the new recruiting powerhouse.

2009

Duke: No top 10 recruits
Kentucky: John Wall (#1), DeMarcus Cousins (#2)

2010

Duke: Kyrie Irving (#4)
Kentucky: Enes Kanter (#3), Brandon Knight (#6)

2011

Duke: Austin Rivers (#1)
Kentucky: Anthony Davis (#2), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (#3), Marquis Teague (#5)

2012

Duke: No top 10 recruits
Kentucky: Nerlens Noel (#2), Alex Poythress (#8)

2013

Duke: Jabari Parker (#4)
Kentucky: Julius Randle (#2), Andrew Harrison (#5), Aaron Harrison (#7), Dakari Johnson (#9)

2014

Duke: Jahlil Okafor (#1), Tyus Jones (#7)
Kentucky: Karl-Anthony Towns (#4)

2015

Duke: Brandon Ingram (#4)
Kentucky: Skal Labissiere (#1), Jamal Murray (#9), Isaiah Briscoe (#10)

2016

Duke: Harry Giles (#2), Jayson Tatum (#3)
Kentucky: De'Aaron Fox (#6), Bam Adebayo (#7), Malik Monk (#9)

2017

Duke: Marvin Bagley III (#2), Trevon Duval (#5), Wendell Carter (#7)
Kentucky: Kevin Knox (#10)

2018

Duke: R.J. Barrett (#1), Zion Williamson (#2), Cam Reddish (#3)
Kentucky: No top 10 recruits

Wasn’t Drummond ranked #1 coming in that year?

Not based on Rivals.

You can check it out here -> https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2011

[Hook_Em]

What went wrong for Cal and Kentucky? They used to be the recruiting powerhouse. They used to have all the nation top recruits. Now they basically have nothing. Duke led by Coach K is the new recruiting powerhouse.

2018

Duke: R.J. Barrett (#1), Zion Williamson (#2), Cam Reddish (#3)
Kentucky: No top 10 recruits

2017

Duke: Marvin Bagley III (#2), Trevon Duval (#5), Wendell Carter (#7)
Kentucky: Kevin Knox (#10)

2016

Duke: Harry Giles (#2), Jayson Tatum (#3)
Kentucky: De'Aaron Fox (#6), Bam Adebayo (#7), Malik Monk (#9)

Yet Duke has nothing to show for those recruiting titles. You need experienced players along with one and dones.

2014:
Jahlil Okafor (#1)
Tyus Jones (#8)
Justise Winslow (#13)
Grayson Allen (#26)

National championship in their first year.

The quote I replied to was 16-18’ before OP edited. The last two years Duke missed the F4 with the #1 class. That Duke team that won it all had two experienced started in Cook and Jefferson. You need some vets.

[mg]

Lie low because of the investigation. They’ll be back

Damn. This might be the real reason of Kentucky's fall.

Cal is a smart, smart man.

This is true. Kentucky has gone out of their way recently to recruit a few that are actually good students that will likely stay with the program all 4 years.

[The_Hater]

What went wrong for Cal and Kentucky? They used to be the recruiting powerhouse. They used to have all the nation top recruits. Now they basically have nothing. Duke led by Coach K is the new recruiting powerhouse.

2009

Duke: No top 10 recruits
Kentucky: John Wall (#1), DeMarcus Cousins (#2)

2010

Duke: Kyrie Irving (#4)
Kentucky: Enes Kanter (#3), Brandon Knight (#6)

2011

Duke: Austin Rivers (#1)
Kentucky: Anthony Davis (#2), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (#3), Marquis Teague (#5)

2012

Duke: No top 10 recruits
Kentucky: Nerlens Noel (#2), Alex Poythress (#8)

2013

Duke: Jabari Parker (#4)
Kentucky: Julius Randle (#2), Andrew Harrison (#5), Aaron Harrison (#7), Dakari Johnson (#9)

2014

Duke: Jahlil Okafor (#1), Tyus Jones (#7)
Kentucky: Karl-Anthony Towns (#4)

2015

Duke: Brandon Ingram (#4)
Kentucky: Skal Labissiere (#1), Jamal Murray (#9), Isaiah Briscoe (#10)

2016

Duke: Harry Giles (#2), Jayson Tatum (#3)
Kentucky: De'Aaron Fox (#6), Bam Adebayo (#7), Malik Monk (#9)

2017

Duke: Marvin Bagley III (#2), Trevon Duval (#5), Wendell Carter (#7)
Kentucky: Kevin Knox (#10)

2018

Duke: R.J. Barrett (#1), Zion Williamson (#2), Cam Reddish (#3)
Kentucky: No top 10 recruits

Nothing lasts for ever, these things usually goes in cycles. But I wouldn't count Cal out yet, they could have the best recruiting cast once again 12 months from now.

[Karate Diop]

Kentucky has always landed star recruits through.. legally questionable means.

As someone mentioned UK basketball is currently being investigated by the FBI for illegal recruiting practices (players like Kevin Knox, Bam Adebayo have been named in the reports) and at the moment it's going to be a no-fly zone until things clear up.

That's virtually how all large basketball programs operate.

[Illmatic12]

Kentucky has always landed star recruits through.. legally questionable means.

As someone mentioned UK basketball is currently being investigated by the FBI for illegal recruiting practices (players like Kevin Knox, Bam Adebayo have been named in the reports) and at the moment it's going to be a no-fly zone until things clear up.

That's virtually how all large basketball programs operate.

Of course. But usually when a program is under federal investigation it’s smart to lay low for a while until things clear up. Then it’s back to business as usual.

This isn’t Calipari’s first time on the rodeo lol, he knows how this works. He’ll be back landing top recruits in no time.

[Deathray]

Losing asst coach Orlando Antigua in 2014 didn't help. He was gold for Cal as a recruiter.