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5-Star Combo-Guard Devin Askew Commits to Kentucky over Louisville
October 18, 2019
Devin Askew ended the drama and announced he committed to Kentucky on SportsCenter Thursday evening.
Askew, a native of Santa Ana, California, is the No. 10 player overall and No. 2 combo guard in the 2021 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also the best player in the state of California.
Askew has the ability to reclassify as a 2020 recruit, thus allowing him to suit up for the Wildcats a year earlier. His father, Brian, told 247Sports' Evan Daniels he's going to make a decision after this season is over.
Askew echoed the comments, telling Jason Jordan of USA Today High School Sports he still valued the opportunity of becoming a McDonald's All-American and competing in the Jordan Brand Classic.
Representing Team WhyNot in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League, Askew averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 13 appearances, according to D1 Circuit. He also shot 40.9 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from three-point range.
Team WhyNot coach David Rebibo had high praise for the dynamic guard.
"He's just a complete leader, floor general," Rebibo said, per the Courier-Journal's Jon Hale. "He makes the guys around him better, but the biggest things about him are his competitive nature. He's got a burning desire to win and compete. The brighter the lights, the bigger the stage, the better version of Devin Askew you’re going to get."
Rebibo added Askew has the talent and composure to handle college basketball were he to make the jump in 2020 rather than 2021.
While listed as a combo guard, Askew's frame (6'3", 195 lbs) leaves him more suited to playing shooting guard. From a skills standpoint, though, he fits the modern profile of a point guard in that he can distribute and run the offense or find his own shot and score.
Head coach John Calipari routinely assembles star-studded recruiting classes as his best players move on to the NBA, so it's little surprise Askew selected the Wildcats.
While Calipari would probably like to have him available next season, Kentucky already sits second in 247Sports' composite team rankings for 2020. A pair of shooting guards, Terrence Clarke and BJ Boston, are the standouts from that group.
If anything, Calipari might prefer Askew waits until 2021 so he can replace the void left by Clarke or Boston if either has a quick stay in Lexington.