LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — The jokes just keep coming.

“Nerlens Noel shaved UK into his hair because tattoos are meant to last. Unlike Kentucky players.”

“Why did UK change the press conference for the announcement from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.? So the UK players would stay in school longer than anyone expected.”

All this team did was win the Wildcats eighth NCAA title and match an NCAA record with 38 wins. They did it as a team, which made it only fitting that they wanted to leave as a team. Teamwork is what made this UK team so enjoyable to watch. None of these future NBA players averaged 15 points or more than 10 shots per game.

The NBA rules do not allow a player to join the league before they turn 19. UK Coach John Calipari has proven smart enough to use that ruleto his advantage. He gets the kids that are required to spend a year in college and makes them better before they move on to their career. That is what college is supposed to do. Calipari should not be criticized for following a rule that he did not make.

Under Calipari, seven players have chosen to enter the NBA draft early, with six being chosen in the first round. DeAndre Liggins was chosen in the second round but did make the Orlando Magic roster. I would give up my college degree today to play for the Magic.

And for those spouting about UK players being one-and-done, you can’t have it both ways. Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb both stayed a year longer than most projected, and Darius Miller will earn his degree from UK. Not many teams that win an NCAA title can claim much more.

So now our basketball team has been disassembled, and our cupboard needs restocked. We have lost 92.3 percent of our offense. It is time for the other Kentucky basketball season: recruiting season.

We know Ryan Harrow, a transfer from North Carolina State, will be at point guard. Calipari thinks highly enough of Harrow that he really didn’t pursue another point guard.

The other guard will likely be slasher Archie Goodwin, a 6-4 McDonald’s All American and a big-time scorer. It is hard to imagine Kyle Wiltjer as the team’s veteran presence, but he will be at a forward spot along with highly-rated recruit Alex Poythress. No. 1 recruit, Nerlens Noel is being called a better shot blocker than Anthony Davis by many pundits, and by Davis himself.

We have another 6-foot-11-inch, five-star recruit in Willie Cauley that might not get into the starting lineup.

The Wildcats are still high on the list of recruits Anthony Bennett of Nevada and Amile Jefferson of Pennsylvania. Top five recruit Chris Walker says he wants to be the No. 1 recruit by the end of summer. He has UK on his list as well.

I wasn’t sure at first that I would like Calipari’s brand of revolving-door recruiting. Now that we have it, I dread the day we don’t.



mhoward@sentinel-echo.com