Calipari said his best UK recruiting class could be 2017 group – Vaught's Views

Kentucky coach John Calipari said the recruiting class he’s working on for 2016-17 could be the best he has ever assembled.

Calipari, appearing on the ESPNU College Basketball podcast Tuesday, said he spent this past weekend on the road visiting recruits. Kentucky is pursuing several players ranked among the top 10 in the ESPN 100 for 2016 — 6-foot-10 Harry Giles(No. 1), 6-8 Josh Jackson(No. 3), 6-2 Dennis Smith Jr. (No. 4), 6-3 Malik Monk(No. 5), 6-5 Kobi Simmons(No. 6), and 6-7 Miles Bridges(No. 7).

Calipari also said Alex Poythress, Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, Skal Labissiere, Marcus Lee and Isaiah Briscoe could all be draft picks in 2016, matching the six players UK had drafted this year.

He also said Labissiere could be a No. 1 pick.

“He’s got a ways to go. Great kid, working hard. Gotta get into the mix of games, the toughness and all of that stuff, then he’s going to grow just like Karl did,” Calipari said.

Calipari noted that Karl-Anthony Towns was not expected to be the No. 1 pick most of last season before he continued to make improvements like he expects Labissiere to do.

“I see Skal on that same path. Early on you’re going to say, ‘Well, I really like him, but he …’ and then at the end of the year you’re going to say, ‘This kid is ridiculous.'”

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