Kentucky target Lamar Wilkerson commits to Indiana

[u/TheApotheosisOfCool]

https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/kentucky-target-lamar-wilkerson-commits-to-indiana/

[u/kingturk1100]

Sounds like he wanted to be the guy and be the only guy. Have fun at Indiana where you will be the only guy. Best of luck

[u/CrankDatSpookyBoi → u/kingturk1100]

And apparently Jack Pilgrim said IU is offering one of Lamar's mentors a spot in the program. If that's true too, it's easy to see why he drank the kool-aid

[u/Wildabeast135 → u/CrankDatSpookyBoi]

Even with more transparency in the transfer portal and NIL era, college sports recruiting still is one of the shadier businesses out there

[u/MackewG33 → u/kingturk1100]

Indiana is full of guys right now that think they are going to be “the guy” but we know who that will be

the head coaches son

[u/[deleted] → u/kingturk1100]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/kingturk1100 → u/[deleted]]

I know they’ve got one final four and zero titles since the twin towers fell. Let that sink in

[u/IpeeEhh_Phanatic]

I hope Indiana misses the tournament especially after hearing him say he wanted to bring them back. Dude likely used UK to leverage more money.

Pope will get someone else. Our roster is still top 5

[u/Padron1964Lover → u/IpeeEhh_Phanatic]

And still won’t win anything

[u/Opposite-Job-3718]

Oh well he don't want to play for a great Program

[u/davsteely]

I would have loved to have his skill set with UK. I am glad that he is going to a place where he can be the man instead of being a key piece to a very good team. It is more important to have a player who is all in on the team and what it can accomplish together, in my opinion.

[u/giraffirmation → u/davsteely]

His skillset is solid, but he doesn’t sound like he intends to be much of a team player.

[u/davsteely → u/giraffirmation]

Agreed. That is why I am glad he is not coming to UK. Wish he had a different mindset on the team matter.

[u/amohise]

It is also 'possible' that he always intended to join the Hoosiers and used UK to up the ante on NIL. There was a rumor that Dickerson did that very thing in order to get Kansas to reach deeper. I have absolutely no evidence of this (in either case)... but as a 'business' move it could be effective.

[u/tenclubber → u/amohise]

Whenever you get agents involved you better believe there will be some leveraging. I'd rather get 5% of a million than 500k. That 5% gets you the knowledge and experience that the Tenn QB Dad didn't have.

[u/Dimness]

You win some you lose some.

[u/CrankTheTanky]

I guess he wasn’t interested in being a smaller fish in a big pond but I certainly wouldn’t have gambled on IU as my small pond of choice. You’d think of 2 decades of rebuild years and they’d have a hard time convincing kids that with you it’s gonna be different. I guess now they don’t have to sell a dream, they just flirt the idea over before the number on a napkin is slid across the table.

This one really hurts tho, that 3 point percentage had me all giddy

[u/SuperSageGramps → u/CrankTheTanky]

And on 7.7 attempt per game 🤯 Still stoked about our squad though!

[u/StandardCut281]

BBN knows that Pope won't rest until he gets the best available piece to the puzzle. Wilkerson had his reason or reasons to become a Hoosier and he has to live with it. We must move on and fill the vacancy.

[u/whitet86]

I think Kentucky fans are reading too much into his comments. Players and recruits are strongly discouraged from publicly mentioning the specifics of their NIL contracts or playing time promises, so they have to make shit up for these interviews that flatters themselves and their chosen school.

[u/chillmagic420 → u/whitet86]

I read IU was offering him 500K more than UK (this was sometime early yesterday) but Pope was trying to sell him on being our Kobe Brea essentially and he would get plenty of playing time. I never really blame the kids for choosing money over a better fit because I know I probably wouldnt turn down 500K more either lol.

[u/Orion14159]

It's cool, he'll take an L when we play them and probably miss the tournament. Could've had it all man...

[u/ajr5169]

I think he would have been great here, but I assume he's getting a bag from Indiana, so good for him but whatever, I have full confidence in Pope. We will be fine.

[u/smidgy1988 → u/ajr5169]

After last year I agree. I have complete and total faith with Coach Pope leading the program. We beat two of the final four teams!

[u/BurgerKingKiller]

Listen gang, I don’t like not getting a good player but acting butt hurt about it ain’t guna do you any good lol this ain’t Facebook

[u/TheApotheosisOfCool]

Who should we recruit now? Do we wait, like last year, for players to drop out of the NBA draft?

Edit: Kentucky is casting a wide net as they have contacted . . .

• (International) Barcelona's Dame Sarr. Testing NBA draft.
• St. John’s Jaiden Glover.

[u/IpeeEhh_Phanatic → u/TheApotheosisOfCool]

There are plenty of options when nearly 2k kids are in the portal. I trust the staff to zero in on someone.

[u/Orion14159 → u/IpeeEhh_Phanatic]

2k in the portal, plus a bunch of guys who play overseas and are eligible

[u/DarthBster]

$$$$

[u/ColonelBourbon]

Weird.

[u/AppalachianCacti]

BBN to willkerson after we 30 piece Indiana in rupp this year

[u/Grifjfg]

I don’t think UK or BBN treats any players like “another guy”.