Why You Shouldn't Expect James Wiseman to Reclassify into the Class of 2018
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USA Basketball[/caption]
There are no shortage of topics which interest Kentucky fans right now - be it what players are going pro, what players are returning for the 2019 season, and overall just what the heck the roster will look like by tip-off of the first game next year. Yet there might not be a topic more intriguing than the future of James Wiseman. The Kentucky staff met with him yesterday and everyone wants to know where the Wildcats stand, and when he will make his college choice.
Oh and there’s one other question too – will Wiseman, the top ranked player in the class of 2019, actually stay in the 2019 class at all? For months there have been all sorts of rumors that Wiseman is seriously considering a move to the class of 2018, to try and get eligible for next season.
Yet while that’s been the talk for months among fans, it isn’t something that most media members are taking seriously… yet. At least not 247 Sports’ recruiting guru and FS1 college basketball analyst Evan Daniels.
Daniels joined KSR’s “Aaron Torres Sports Podcast” earlier this week, and when Aaron asked Wiseman, and why everyone keeps bringing up a possible reclassification, Daniels shared his thoughts.
“I get why people keep asking,” Daniels said. “But he keeps answering it the same way. So until James Wiseman says something differently you have to take him at his word.”
Daniels explained that while sometimes reclassification rumors are legit, on this one, he hasn’t actually heard from anyone credible that it is a serious conversation.
https://twitter.com/PatLawless_/status/985993837347852289
Instead, it’s mostly fans that are stirring the pot and creating the narrative.
“Sometimes you hear things in the background,” Daniels said. “Sources and people recruiting the kid will say that the kid is going to do something; whether it’s commit [or] reclassify. I haven’t heard any of that with him. There’s just been speculation among fans. At this point he says he’s not reclassifying, he’s staying in the 2019 class. I’ll start to take another stance seriously when he makes a public statement saying otherwise.”
Ultimately while the potential reclassification of a star like Wiseman is exciting, there is plenty of reason to pump the breaks here a bit. There is Wiseman repeatedly denying the rumor, something that his mom did as well on Wednesday. Also, keep in mind that Wiseman is young for his age. While players like Marvin Bagley and Ashton Hags (who is trying to reclassify for next year) were a year old, and tried to get back into their proper age group, Wiseman is the age of a normal high school junior. He just turned 17 a few weeks ago and won’t be 18 for another, full, calendar year. If he stays in his class, he will enter college at the normal age for most of his peers.
So while the Wiseman/reclassification buzz is exciting, it’s probably too early to take things seriously. At least according to the biggest name in the recruiting game.
Also, to hear the rest of Evan Daniels’ entire interview with Aaron Torres, including conversation about the 2019 recruiting class as a whole, how Jeff Capel’s departure impacts Duke and more Wiseman talk, be sure to download the show by clicking here.
USA Basketball[/caption]
There are no shortage of topics which interest Kentucky fans right now - be it what players are going pro, what players are returning for the 2019 season, and overall just what the heck the roster will look like by tip-off of the first game next year. Yet there might not be a topic more intriguing than the future of James Wiseman. The Kentucky staff met with him yesterday and everyone wants to know where the Wildcats stand, and when he will make his college choice.
Oh and there’s one other question too – will Wiseman, the top ranked player in the class of 2019, actually stay in the 2019 class at all? For months there have been all sorts of rumors that Wiseman is seriously considering a move to the class of 2018, to try and get eligible for next season.
Yet while that’s been the talk for months among fans, it isn’t something that most media members are taking seriously… yet. At least not 247 Sports’ recruiting guru and FS1 college basketball analyst Evan Daniels.
Daniels joined KSR’s “Aaron Torres Sports Podcast” earlier this week, and when Aaron asked Wiseman, and why everyone keeps bringing up a possible reclassification, Daniels shared his thoughts.
“I get why people keep asking,” Daniels said. “But he keeps answering it the same way. So until James Wiseman says something differently you have to take him at his word.”
Daniels explained that while sometimes reclassification rumors are legit, on this one, he hasn’t actually heard from anyone credible that it is a serious conversation.
https://twitter.com/PatLawless_/status/985993837347852289
Instead, it’s mostly fans that are stirring the pot and creating the narrative.
“Sometimes you hear things in the background,” Daniels said. “Sources and people recruiting the kid will say that the kid is going to do something; whether it’s commit [or] reclassify. I haven’t heard any of that with him. There’s just been speculation among fans. At this point he says he’s not reclassifying, he’s staying in the 2019 class. I’ll start to take another stance seriously when he makes a public statement saying otherwise.”
Ultimately while the potential reclassification of a star like Wiseman is exciting, there is plenty of reason to pump the breaks here a bit. There is Wiseman repeatedly denying the rumor, something that his mom did as well on Wednesday. Also, keep in mind that Wiseman is young for his age. While players like Marvin Bagley and Ashton Hags (who is trying to reclassify for next year) were a year old, and tried to get back into their proper age group, Wiseman is the age of a normal high school junior. He just turned 17 a few weeks ago and won’t be 18 for another, full, calendar year. If he stays in his class, he will enter college at the normal age for most of his peers.
So while the Wiseman/reclassification buzz is exciting, it’s probably too early to take things seriously. At least according to the biggest name in the recruiting game.
Also, to hear the rest of Evan Daniels’ entire interview with Aaron Torres, including conversation about the 2019 recruiting class as a whole, how Jeff Capel’s departure impacts Duke and more Wiseman talk, be sure to download the show by clicking here.
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