Nerlens Noel to Kentucky: Wildcats Land Coveted Basketball Recruit

Nerlens Noel has finally made his long-awaited decision, and the No. 1 recruit is taking his talents to Lexington to join the Kentucky Wildcats.

ESPNU covered the signing live on the network.

The 6’10”, 215-pound center prospect from Everett, Mass. had narrowed his choices down to Syracuse, Georgetown and Kentucky and took some time to consider his options before signing with the Wildcats.

Teams around the country scrambled to make a strong recruiting push when Noel announced in February that he had reclassified from the class of 2013 to the class of 2012.

Fortunately for Kentucky fans, the blooming Tilton High School star decided to sign with their program after just a short and intense recruiting period.

Noel is going to make an instant impact, and Kentucky can now definitely be considered major contenders in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Noel's defensive skills—most notably shot-blocking—are out of this world, and he has the all the talent necessary to become a major force in the collegiate game.

Nerlens is already being called the “second coming of Anthony Davis," a player who owned his freshman season due to incredible athleticism and intense defense and is well on his way to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

It is therefore quite fitting that Noel is heading to Kentucky, where he will essentially be Davis' replacement. The Wildcats won a championship with Davis blocking shots and doing work in the paint, and they should be considered a legit championship threat now that they have Noel around to do the same.

John Calipari has struck again.