Anthony Bennett: 5 Reasons the Star Recruit Will Choose Kentucky Wildcats

Anthony Bennett has narrowed his list of schools down to Florida, Kentucky, Oregon and UNLV, but the McDonald's All-American will play for the Kentucky Wildcats next season.

As a star college basketball recruit, Bennett ranks No. 7 in the Class of 2012, and is the best recruit who has yet to decide. The power forward will not decide until early May, but because of these five factors, Bennett is going to announce that he will play for the Kentucky Wildcats next season.

Before I tell you exactly why Bennett will don a Kentucky uniform next year, I'll give you my scouting report on the kid.

Bennett is a versatile power forward. He can dominate inside or step out and hit threes, but while he does have good range, he still has better size than most other players in the class. He plays with seemingly limitless energy, and he is aggressive on both ends of the floor.

A great rebounder, Bennett also plays well inside, and there are no questions about his stamina or conditioning. If there is a weakness for this kid it is only speculative, as the worst thing I can say about him is that he might become too strong and bulky for his own good, slowing him down.

Overall, Bennett is an excellent player, and he is going to make one school very happy.

With that, these are the five reasons Anthony Bennett is heading to Lexington.

John Calipari's Recruiting Prowess

John Calipari is the best recruiter in history. Period.

Calipari knows how to convince high schoolers to play for him, and he has formed some of the most talented teams in history because of it, including this year's Kentucky team that won it all.

Coach Cal has had the No. 1 rated recruiting class according to ESPN every year since he has come to Lexington, and this year is no different. He is bringing in the No. 1 overall recruit for the second time in two years in Nerlens Noel, and he already has four recruits in the top 40 of the Class of 2012 coming to Lexington next season.

We know that Calipari is going to be recruiting Bennett hard as he is looking to land a power forward before the recruiting process is over, and Bennett is the best available.

Nerlens Noel

John Calipari isn't the only recruiter Kentucky has pursuing Bennett, as No. 1 overall recruit Nerlens Noel is trying to get Bennett to be a Wildcat as well.

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"I’m trying to get Anthony Bennett. I’m not even sure where he’s at in his recruitment, but I think I can probably get it done. I’d say I have a little higher than a 50 percent chance of getting it done.
We’ll see how it goes.”  Nerlens Noel

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Noel is an influential figure in college basketball recruiting, and he is trying to form a bond with Bennett.

These connections can be crucial, as it's been speculated that Kyle Anderson's connections with players have brought UCLA's 2012 recruiting class to No. 3 in the nation. It's thought that he convinced Shabazz Muhammad to come to UCLA, and he could bring in Tony Parker too.

With Noel and Calipari both making a push for Bennett, Kentucky keeps rising up his list.

Playing Time

For most recruits who are considering Kentucky, playing time is the biggest negative for the school. With such a talented team, playing time can be scarce for some guys, but not for Anthony Bennett.

Bennett is such a talented power forward that he would be starting for Kentucky. While other power forwards would probably be sitting for a year in the system, Bennett would not.

While the Wildcats already have Kyle Wiltjer returning at power forward (yes, Kentucky does have someone coming back), Bennett is the better player between the two, and he would be getting the nod on the starting lineup.

Knowing that he would play so much for such a great program is huge for Bennett, and this has to be part of John Calipari's recruiting pitch.

The Championship Pitch

Winning a championship wasn't just a great moment for John Calipari, it's something that he can use to his advantage when recruiting.

A championship is the ultimate goal for any college basketball player, and Calipari is the only coach in the nation who can say that his team won it all last year. Bennett may only be in college basketball for a year, but he would still want to win it all, and Calipari has experience in the Final Four.

Kentucky is looking to repeat this year, and by adding Bennett the Wildcats would stand a much better chance. With Kyle Wiljter, the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and the addition of Bennett, Kentucky can promise Bennett that he will be competing for a championship right away.

Kentucky is the only school on his list who can promise that.

Bennett Wants to Be a One-and-Done

We know that Anthony Bennett wants to be a one-and-done player next year so that he can repay his mom for all she has done for him. Wherever he goes, his coach will know that he wants to leave after one year, and we've already seen that John Calipari is perfectly fine having a new team every year.

The question that will be weighing the most heavily on his mind is: Where can I be ready for the NBA in one year?

The answer to that question is in Kentucky, under John Calipari, who has coached so many NBA studs. In an NBA-style offense, Bennett will grow and adjust until he is ready to enter the 2013 NBA draft.

This, above all else, will convince Bennett that he needs to go to Kentucky, and he will choose the Wildcats when the time comes.

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