Is Lacey Tide bound?

Kentucky fans don't  sound positive he's a Wildcat...

Nation's eyes turn to Huntsville on Sunday

     The recruitment of Trevor Lacey has taken a life of its own. Every fan board you read seems to imply he is going somewhere else other than their home school. Today, it was Kentucky's day to sing the blues. (sorry).

     Common wisdom or the lack thereof has him a Wildcat, a Crimson  Tider, or a JayHawk. The kid couldn't go wrong with any of those choices.  Two great programs, one program ascendng like a rocket and three great head coaches. Trevor's recruitment had already taken on urban myth levels and then he got his fifth star. He now has entered the levels of Greek Mythology. For four schools the recruitment will end like a Greecian tragedy. Every day I get calls from all over the Deep South asking me "where" or "what do you think". I don't really know.

     Over the years I have developed relationships with lots of coaches, players, sources, agents, and bagmen for AAU coaches. I can't get anyone to say where they think the young man is going. Like me, they have no idea. Well, that may not be exactly true, but I can honestly say I don't absolutely know. The other day Trevor himself said he likely wouldn't know until he picked up the hat of choice. Good grief, this is sounds more like bingo night down at the lodge hall rather than an annoucement ceremony.  I can give you great reasons why he can pick any of the five remaining contenders and all make sense. Making sense isn't one the hightest criteria for signing with a school for some kids.

     I have an ex-wife, good lady and great mother of our daughter. She voted for Richard Nixon one year because she like the ties that Sprio Agnew wore. My own daughter won a lot of money at the track one night using her Bama theory. She always picked the horse whose stable colors where closest to Crimson and White. That included one horse named Bengal who won despite the strong ties to either LSU or Auburn.

     That is the level of choice some recruits use it seems. Lacey has given this long and considered thought. Like Mary in the Bible he has pondered these things. One of the hard things about any of us making a realistic pick is that all five schools have immediate playing time for a gifted two guard. That's not a coincident. Lacey knows that very well, and he's weighed his options carefully. I do believe he has made his choice and has known since the first of the month. After talking with people who know him they describe him as careful and thoughful. He is not impulsive.

     I believe he has eliminated schools one by one and got stuck on three schools. Each had their own opportunities to get his name on the line. I also know he wanted to take another ACT Test to improve his chances for being cleared by the NCAA, and I understand he's made it happen. Good for him. All this is just conjecture but... I think AU bit the dust first, and unless some odd things happen he won't be a Tiger. If you are an Aubie think Cam Newton because anything is possible. Probably UConn was the next to go because of distance and Trevor had a good understanding about how the community felf about Stanley Robinison when he went yankee.  He also must have some questions about what is going tohappen with Jim Calhoun as well.

     I lot of fans think that Lacey is one and done. I don't. He may be two and through but he's got show someone he can play defense as well as score in buckets. I've felt that Alabama, Kansas, and Kentucky were his serious choices. He had a love affair with Bill Self. After Selby annouced he was gone to the league Self stepped back in and sprinkled magical recruiting dust on the Lacey family and they all but became Self groupies. I guess we'll find out if is is really love or just a summer fling so to speak.

     All the advantages go to Kentucky. Go Big Blue, tradition, and those intangibles that surround their program. They are the Alabama for college basketball. The Tide now has a coach that can make Alabama the Alabama of college basketball. Some kids are warriors. If Lacey is a true warrior he'll have to give Alabama a strong look. He knows what his presence at the Capstone will mean to him now and in the long term. He'll be in the league one way or the other. If the kid is only interested in the NBA he is likely to join the "come on down and it's been nice to know you" recruiting policy of Calipari. All this coming and going will cause UK players and fans to get lost in the shuffle. Okay, now get ready to laugh - I think Lacey would actually have a better chance of being on a national championship team at Bama than Kentucky. I know you are thinking he's lost his mind.

    If anyone thinks that Calipair is going to win a national championship with group after group of one and dones they are crazy. Unless one is as good as Labron James is now it isn't likely to happen. Come Sunday we'll know unless Trevor re-ups for another extended tour or recruiting. I can't bring myself to say it is Alabama. All great players fare well when they stay in State. It's just a rule of life. He'll have an almost cult like following at Alabama. At Kentucky he'll be attending a cult of sign 'em, dine 'em, and resign 'em after a season or two. As much as my heart wants me to say Alabama I just can't.

     But you know I can't bring myself to say Kentucky or Kansas either.


AN ASIDE: We will have a few more blogs about basketball before summer, then it is going to watch kids play across the nation. I would  like to personally thank the 263,198 fans who have  read this blog since January 2011. If anyone out there would like to sponser this site for next year let me know. Baby needs a new pair of shoes.



   

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