I spent all day on the basketball prowl in Las Vegas, looking for players who may be recruiting targets for the Kentucky Wildcats. I saw a number of solid performances along the way in this day three of the three Vegas summer AAU tournaments.
Kentucky commitment G.J. Vilarino’s teammate Roger Franklin, 6-foot-5 forward, was very impressive today, Texas Select’s lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal team performance. He scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds and had three blocked shots in a 76-61 loss. Prep Stars Brick Oettinger, sitting next to me, said, “This guy just needs to grow three inches but he is going to make some team a really good player.” I agree.
Michael Snaer, an incredibly athletic 6-foot-3 guard from Moreno Valley, Ca. is having an incredible tournament. In what I thought was one of the more exciting games I have seen here in Vegas, Snaer dropped 27 points and had six rebounds, leading the Inland Reebok team to a thin 71-67 win over the Houston Swoosh. On day one, Snaer had 17 points in a 3-point win. Later that day, he dropped in 21 points in another win. Snaer told me that Kentucky and Kansas are among a number of schools that have jumped into his recruitment, and believe me, he is good. But Cat fans should not hold their breath. He also told me that he grew up loving UCLA and will probably end up playing closer to home in California. If UCLA offers, this one may be over early.
Snaer’s teammate, 6-foot-4 PG Malcom Lee, has already committed to UCLA, and believe me the Bruins got a good one. Lee had 21 today, and 27 in last night’s game.
Darius Miller, as most everyone who follows recruiting knows, is the real deal. I have seen him play three times this week and have come away extremely impressed. The Mason Co. High School product has the complete package. Kentucky has made him a priority and some member of the staff has been at all his games, even sitting through a blowout where Darius played only nine minutes. But Rick Pitino of Louisville, Bruce Pearl of Tennessee, and Billy Donovan of Florida were all there too. This is a big one for UK. Miller was not giving interviews at his dad’s request. If there was one player I came away believing was a “must get” for Kentucky, it was Darius Miller.
Miller’s teammate, William Buford, is also an amazing player. Ohio State got a great one. Likewise, major kudos to Xavier for gaining a commitment from Kenny Frease. He is one intimidating presence. He made a dunk today that rattled the backboard so hard it was still shaking through the next offensive set.
Another 2009 California product that lists Kentucky as one of his choices is Renardo Sidney. Sidney has been criticized for weight gain, reportedly going from 235 to 270, but that did not stop him from dropping 30 points on Darius Miller’s D1 Greyhounds. The big man looked unstoppable at times. I was told he looked bad on day one. He sure looked pretty good to me. Rumor has it UCLA will be tough to beat for his services.
Quincy Acy, 6-foot-8 Texas power forward, said Kentucky is getting involved. The big man had 12 points and six rebounds and played a critical role in beating Darius Miller’s D1 Greyhounds.