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2019 players James Wiseman and Isaiah Stewart face-off at NIKE EYBL

by: Maggie Davis05/28/18@MaggieDavisKSR
[caption id="attachment_240905" align="aligncenter" width="703"] Photo: USA Basketball[/caption] The name James Wiseman is already a popular one among UK fans, but another name could start giving Wiseman a run for his money. And I'm not talking about Vernon Carey.  Fellow 5-star center Isaiah Stewart had a monster night at his NIKE EYBL games, even against a player widely considered to be the class' No. 1 prospect. The two 2019 recruits, neither of which have committed to a college yet, went head-to-head. And while Wiseman's team won the game, Stewart won the individual matchup, at least statistically speaking. Stewart scored 19 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and blocked one shot, while holding Wiseman to just seven points. Here's how they both did on the floor, via Nike EYBL's official box score: After jumping up 22 spots to become Rival.com's No. 10 overall pick last month, Stewart has picked up a handful of scholarship offers in the past several weeks, including ones from Louisville, Kansas, Villanova, UCLA, Tennessee and Ohio State. He's also had in-home visits with coaches from Duke, Syracuse, Michigan State and Indiana. According to the experts at 247Sports, Duke is currently a heavy favorite. But, according to Stewart, he hasn't heard much from Kentucky yet, more than likely due to UK's interest in Wiseman and Vernon Carey. He's also said he wants to narrow his list of schools down in the coming weeks, so it's quickly becoming a now-or-never situation for the Wildcats. Should Kentucky move in on a rising, front-court superstar? The latest Crystal Ball prediction for Wiseman is as tight as ever: 53 percent Memphis, 47 percent Kentucky. Carey is reported to be heavily leaning toward the Blue Devils. If the Cats can land either Wiseman or Carey - or, ideally, both - they'll be in great shape. But losing out on both of these top recruits could seriously hurt the Cats' season, while a guy like Stewart could be a huge contributor. It's still early, but if Calipari and his staff don't act quickly, it may be too late. 
Watch Wiseman and Stewart's matchup highlights here:

@MaggieDavisKSR

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