John Calipari is widely considered the best recruiter in college basketball, so the fact that his 2016 class isn't full of top talent at this point, although it is early, is a bit of a surprise to some people. Calipari has the ability to change that in a hurry, and it seems as though he is well on his way. Earlier this week, five-star De'Aaron Fox named his top seven schools with Kentucky being the reported early favorite, and now four-star power forward Sacha Killeya-Jones has committed to Kentucky, according to Paul Biancardi of ESPN.
Killeya-Jones joins New Zealand native Tai Wynyard as the first two members of Kentucky's 2016 recruiting class, one that figures to continue to grow. Killeya-Jones ultimately chose Kentucky over Kansas, UNC, NC State, St. Joseph's, Virginia and Wake Forest. Killeya-Jones had initially committed to Virginia but de-committed back in June, and since then his stock has reportedly gone way up.
Killeya-Jones is a native of Chapel Hill, N.C. and was offered a scholarship from UNC but decided Kentucky was his best option because he knows he will be facing good competition in practice.
"I know going to play for Coach Cal at Kentucky means I will be playing against great players in practice, that's what I was looking for, because it will help me develop as a player and prepare me for the games. I know I have to earn my playing time," said Killeya-Jones, according to Reggie Rankin of ESPN.
The 6-foot-11 power forward has the right attitude heading into his senior year of high school but also has a ton of talent. ESPN ranks Killeya-Jones as the 12th best power forward and the 56th best overall player in the 2016 class. Killeya-Jones has tremendous size and athletic ability and will likely be a stretch four in college because of his ability to knock down perimeter jump shots. His jump shot is not yet a consistent weapon, and his motor isn't the greatest but Killeya-Jones is a very talented young player who shows a lot of promise.
The commitment of Killeya-Jones moves Kentucky's 2016 recruiting class into the top ten in the nation at number seven overall, according to 247 Sports. Kentucky is nowhere near done with their recruiting for 2016 players, as they are in on a lot of the top players who have yet to decide including Fox and number one overall player Harry Giles.
