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Kentucky Wildcats: Could 2016 Class Become Calipari’s Crown Jewel?

By Michael Whitlow

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari in attendance prior to the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari in attendance prior to the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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When it comes to college basketball recruiting, nobody has done it better in the last six years than the Kentucky Wildcats and head coach John Calipari.

Whether you’re glancing at ESPN’s Recruiting Nation rankings, taking a look at the recruiting board over at Rivals, or peeking elsewhere for your recruiting news, you’ll notice Kentucky near the top of every board.

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Calipari has recruited some of the best players in the country, and even strolled north to the Canadian provinces to bring five-star recruit Jamal Murray on board for the Wildcats during the upcoming 2015-16 season.

The list of recruits is seemingly endless for Calipari since his arrival in Lexington before the 2009-10 season: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Kyle Wiltjer and Brandon Knight were all among the star-studded Kentucky Wildcats of years past.

And yes, I didn’t even dabble into last year’s stellar recruiting class that featured the 2015 NBA Draft’s top selection Karl-Anthony Towns.

How about the “greatest recruiting class ever assembled” back in 2013, where Calipari brought five(!!!) McDonald’s All-Americans to Lexington, and went all the way to the national championship?

But, even with his amazing recruiting resume, Calipari still thinks there’s more out there for him.

During his appearance on the ESPNU College Basketball Podcast with college hoops insider Andy Katz this week, Calipari mentioned how the upcoming 2016 class could be the best class he and his staff have ever put together.

"“This year’s recruiting class, where we’re in the middle of right now, could be one of our best ever,” Calipari said. “The kids that I’m seeing, that we’re involved with, that I feel really good about. This could be our best class ever. And that’s a pretty scary statement coming from who we’ve been able to recruit over the last 25 years.”"

Among the elite stars of next year’s class are ESPN’s top overall prospect Harry Giles (6’8″, Winston-Salem, N.C.), Rivals.com’s top prospect Josh Jackson (6’8″, Southfield, Mich.), Dennis Smith Jr. (6’2″, Fayetteville, N.C.), and Kobi Simmons (6’5″, Alpharetta, Ga.).

Oh, and I did mention that Jamal Murray would’ve been another prospect in this top-tier bunch if he didn’t reclassify to the 2015 class? Calipari might not be as far off his rocker as one would think when you originally hear his thoughts on the 2016 class.

Personally, I understand why people are seemingly taken back by Calipari’s statements because 1) who knows where all of these young men will actually land and 2) the success of his previous classes shouldn’t be thrown to the side.

I mean, the man recruited arguably the best point guard in the NBA right now (not named Stephen Curry) in John Wall, a dynamic big man in DeMarcus Cousins, and the soon-to-be “best player in the NBA” in Anthony Davis.

However, if Calipari does bring a bulk of the elite talent around the country (according to ESPNU’s Recruiting Nation, Kentucky has offered the top seven recruits), similar to what he did in 2013, then it’s hard to argue with a guy who has coached in *six Final Fours in his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career.

What makes John Calipari one of the best coaches in college basketball is just this. The fact that he’s already planning his next dynamic class at Kentucky before his No. 2 overall recruiting class (per ESPN) even hits the floor in October is a testament to understanding that he doesn’t know what he’ll be left with after each season concludes.

And, if he’s not left with much, it appears reinforcements are certainly on the way.

*Two of Calipari’s Final Four appearances have been vacated due to NCAA investigations (Massachusetts in 1996, Memphis in 2008).

Next: The 30 Greatest Players in Kentucky Basketball History

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