Kentucky Basketball: 6 Recruits John Calipari Can Flip in Time

The Kentucky Wildcats basketball program has had a top-two recruiting class in each season since coach John Calipari took the reins in 2009. Early in the 2013 recruiting season, however, the Wildcats aren’t in the Top 10, but there are still some big names Calipari can flip in time.

There is no more storied college basketball program than the University of Kentucky. As the NCAA's all-time leader in wins (2,090) and tournament appearances (52) and second in national titles to UCLA (11) with eight, Kentucky means basketball.

The last national title came last season with a 67-59 win over Kansas, giving Calipari his first national title and an even more important recruiting tool—as if the Wildcats needed any more help.

Eric Crawford of the Louisville Courier-Journal had high praise in his national title recap from early April. Crawford said of Calipari’s role with the championship team (via USA Today):

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Calipari deserves the credit for that cohesion. He took a clipboard with the words, "Blue Together" into the huddle before his team took the court. His ability to convince players of such a high level to play together, to sacrifice scoring, to settle for statistics that aren't what they might've compiled elsewhere, for a chance to win a championship, is coaching of the highest order.

Kansas coach Bill Self also said of Calipari, "Because they're so talented, he doesn't get near enough credit for how good a coach he really is."

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With all that the team lost to the NBA, this recruiting season is crucial for the Wildcats. At this point, they have no commits from ESPN’s Top 100. With the early signing period in six weeks (Nov. 14-21), Kentucky needs Calipari to work his magic and flip these recruits.

Julius Randle (Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy)

Photo Courtesy: ESPN.com

Julius Randle’s signing would drastically improve any team’s recruiting class. Why? He’s the top-rated recruit in the 2013 class, according to Rivals.com.

Randle is 6’9” and already owns an NBA-ready build at 240 pounds. Fourteen NCAA schools have expressed interest in Randle and only four have been counted out. Kentucky is one of the schools still in.

He has had five in-home visits and just finished his official recruiting visit to Kentucky. Eric Bossi of Rivals.com noted that Randle was positive in recapping his trip to Lexington (via Rivals.com).

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"I kind of knew what I was going to get from the program and what they do," Randle said. "What I got out of the visit is that it is really just a family. They are going to push you hard to be the best you are going to be and you aren't going to like it sometimes. But at the end of the day you know they care about you. The coaches are good guys and care about you."

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With teams like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and N.C. State all in the mix, it won’t be an easy task, but Calipari can certainly land this highly-touted recruit.

Andrew and Aaron Harrison (Travis High School)

Photo Courtesy: Wildcatworld.com

This is one of the best two-for-one deals in the recruiting season. Twin brothers Andrew and Aaron Harrison are both top-five recruits, and all signs are showing that where one goes, the other will too.

Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com says the two may be the best package deal ever. They aren’t the only twins to join the NCAA ranks. Kansas had the Morris twins and UCLA now has the Wear twins, but none have garnered as much attention as the Harrison twins.

Reports show that the Harrison twins are considering Kentucky and Maryland as favorites. Andy Katz of ESPN has reported that Maryland coach Mark Turgeon is still courting the twins, and they will be attending UM’s Midnight Madness on Oct. 12.

Kentucky has their hands full swiping these two away from Maryland—having dorms worth $7 million should help.

Aaron Gordon (San Jose Archbishop Mitty)

Photo Courtesy: ESPN.com

Aaron Gordon is another tough flip for Calipari and the Wildcats. Gordon is from California and is rumored to favor the west coast, specifically the University of Washington.

CBSsports.com’s Jeff Borzello tweeted that Washington and Arizona are Gordon’s top two schools, but you can never rule out Kentucky.

Gordon will wait until spring to announce his decision, giving Calipari a great opportunity to come in and steal this one from the Huskies.

Gordon is yet to go on his official visit to the Bluegrass State. The 6’8” power forward is going to make the major players wait for his decision, ultimately favoring the underdogs more than it does the favorite (Washington).

For once, Kentucky is an underdog. That shouldn't stop Calipari from flipping this one.

Marcus Lee (Antioch Deer Valley)

Photo Courtesy: ESPN.com

Another California product, Marcus Lee has narrowed his favorites list down to Cal and Kentucky. Cal used to be the outright favorite due to geography, but the more Kentucky talks, the more people listen.

Rivals.com says the two schools are 50-50. Again, Calipari and his defending national championship ring should earn an edge here.

Rumor also has it that Kentucky’s in-state rival, Louisville, is the third finalist for the 6’9” power forward. Lee finished his official visit with Louisville last week and is scheduled to be in Lexington for the Big Blue Madness on Oct. 12.

If the madness is anything like the spectacle it was last year, it will be hard for Lee to say anything but “yes” to Calipari.

Tyler Roberson (Roselle Catholic School)

Photo Courtesy: ESPN.com

Roberson is a 6’8”, 210-pound power forward with a long list of interested schools. Among the best are Kansas, Kentucky, Rutgers, Syracuse and Villanova.

Hailing from New Jersey, the geographical edge goes to Rutgers and Syracuse, but 11 schools have offered with none emerging as favorites yet.

Roberson has tremendous upside with his athleticism and his size―a perfect fit for the Calipari system. The fit is something that has crossed the combo-forward’s mind throughout the recruiting process.

"I'm going to talk to the coaches to see where I feel comfortable," Roberson said (via Jeff Borzello of CBSSports.com). "A school where I think I would fit in with the way they play. I want to learn a lot about the program."

Borzello also noted that Roberson was excited by the offer he received from the Wildcats and that he wants to decide this fall.

Calipari wasn’t in the picture earlier in the recruiting process. Now, he’s got the Wildcats on Roberson’s radar and could snag the 4-star recruit from some other big-name programs.