Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: Early-Season Update for 2013 and 2014 Classes

There is never a wrong time to talk about Kentucky basketball recruiting.

John Calipari keeps Big Blue Nation excited for the future by staying involved with top recruits each year.

It should not be a surprise that 2013 and 2014 are no different.

You should know by now that Kentucky has an absolutely incredible 2013 class. ESPN ranks it as the best class in 2013, and Calipari is not done.

Right now, Kentucky's 2013 class includes three of ESPN's top six prospects—Aaron and Andrew Harrison and James Young. Marcus Lee (ranked No. 30 by ESPN) and Derek Willis (unranked) round out the top recruiting class for 2013.

Who will Calipari add to the 2013 class? Could there be another super-class in 2014?

Read on.

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Karl Towns (2014)

Karl Towns has given Kentucky fans something to cheer about amid an unexpectedly slow start to the 2012-13 basketball season.

He committed to Kentucky on Dec. 4, and with his commitment, reclassified to the 2014 class. 

Towns has a remarkable mind for a 17-year-old. In the aforementioned article, from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Towns said:

"

The basketball comes secondary. Yeah, it's great to be on a great basketball team, but once that basketball stops dribbling, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? I always like having secondary plans.

"

Sure, Kentucky has a great basketball program, but his comments regarding life after basketball show that he's very mature for a teenager.

When discussing his recruitment with USA Today, Towns said, "I just want to end it before it starts." 

It has ended. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Towns will be a Wildcat.

Other 2014 Targets

Aside from the No. 3 prospect in the country, Kentucky is involved with several other 2014 stars.

According to ESPN, there are ten 5-star and a pair of 4-star prospects considering Kentucky.

The most intriguing duo in the 2014 class consists of Jahlil Okafor, ESPN's No. 2 recruit in the class, and Tyus Jones, the No. 1 recruit.

"

Jahlil Okafor said watching the Harrison twins commit to UK 'made me think of me and Tyus (Jones) going to school together. It will happen.'

"

"— Jason Jordan (@JayJayUSATODAY) October 29, 2012"

Both are considering Kentucky. Could there be another mega-class in Lexington in 2014?

Definitely.

We're still a long way from learning much about the 2014 class, but with Karl Towns' decision, Kentucky is already ahead of the pack. 

Of course, if the Harrison twins and Marcus Lee really do stay four years, John Calipari won't have enough scholarships for these 5-star studs. 

Not a bad problem to have.

Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle

These two are grouped together because I don't expect both to be in Kentucky blue next season, but there's a decent chance that John Calipari lands one of the two.

Pictured is Julius Randle, who recently fractured his foot and is expected to miss around three months.

His recent blog post with USA Today should have Kentucky fans excited, though, and it shows how much he trusts Calipari:

"

I had a really good talk with Coach (John) Calipari since my injury too. He’s funny. He told me that worst-case scenario, if I never play again, I could still come to Kentucky on scholarship and after I graduate I’d be his assistant. The crazy thing is that I know he’s serious about that. It just showed me how much he really cared about me and my future. That meant a lot to me.

"

Randle is down to six schools: Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Oklahoma and Texas.

Only three schools made Aaron Gordon's list: Arizona, Kentucky and Washington.

Calipari is battling schools with location advantages for both prospects, and the strength of the 2013 Kentucky class may be enough to keep these top power forwards away from Lexington.

Both are eyeing a decision in the spring.

Dakari Johnson (2013)

Dakari Johnson, one of the most recent prospects to reclassify to the 2013 class, is the No. 1 center in the class, according to ESPN. 

The one and only Nick Nafpliotis wrote this article on an interview with Johnson's mother (from ZagsBlog). It's worth a read.

The most important tidbit you need to know about Johnson is that he's definitely interested in Kentucky—he lived in the Lexington area for three years—and Kentucky has a need for a big man in the 2013 class.

Between Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle and Johnson, Kentucky is in great shape to land an elite big man for its 2013 class. 

Andrew Wiggins (2013)

The No. 1 prospect in the 2013 class—according to pretty much every major recruiting service in the country—is Andrew Wiggins.

The most recent news surrounding Wiggins is Florida State's attempt to woo Wiggins to Tallahassee. 

Will it work? 

Maybe. Wiggins' parents both graduated from Florida State, which is probably more of a factor than cheerleaders and fans showing Wiggins some love.

Since reclassifying, Wiggins has gained a massive amount of interest from top programs around the country. His short list on ESPN includes Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and Syracuse.

Wiggins is still the crown jewel in the 2013 class, and would cap an unforgettable recruiting class for the University of Kentucky. 

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