Men's Basketball
UK Men’s Basketball Signing Class Rakes in Major Awards

UK Men’s Basketball Signing Class Rakes in Major Awards

by Eric Lindsey

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Already ranked by national recruiting analysts as the No. 1 class in the 2020 cycle, the incoming Kentucky men’s basketball signing class will join UK as one of the most decorated classes in school history.
 
Highlighted by several state player of the year honors, several McDonald’s All American nods and other major prep awards, UK’s current signing class has hauled in a number of awards this season as the group gets ready to join Kentucky for the 2020-21 season.
 
A list of the postseason honors is below:
 
Terrence Clarke

  • Sports Illustrated All-American Third Team
  • Naismith All-American Honorable Mention
  • New England Preparatory School Athletic Council AAA Player of the Year
  • NEPSAC AAA First Team
  • McDonalds All American
  • Allen Iverson Roundball Classic selection
  • Jordan Brand Classic selection
  • 2019 National Prep Championship co-champion (team award)


Brandon Boston Jr.

  • Naismith All-America First Team
  • Sports Illustrated All-American Second Team
  • California Mr. Basketball
  • Gold Coast League MVP
  • McDonalds All American
  • Allen Iverson Roundball Classic selection
  • Jordan Brand Classic selection

 
Lance Ware

  • NJ.com Player of the Year (New Jersey)
  • NJ.com All-State First Team
  • Allen Iverson Roundball Classic selection

 
Cam’Ron Fletcher

  • Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 4 Player of the Year
  • MBCAC Class 5 All-State Team


Isaiah Jackson

  • Michigan All-State Division I (Associated Press)
  • Jordan Brand Classic selection


Devin Askew

  • Trinity League MVP (California)
  • Jordan Brand Classic selection

 
All major prep awards and postseason high school tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, players retain their McDonald’s All America and Jordan Brand distinction.
 
UK has signed 37 McDonald’s All Americans out of high school during the John Calipari era, more than any other school in the country during that time period. Multiple players from each of Calipari’s signing classes have been tabbed McDonald’s All Americans, including five each in 2013 and 2017.
 
Kentucky signees have competed in every Jordan Brand Classic during the Calipari era, including six in 2013. Since Calipari’s arrival, 44 total players have been selected for the Jordan Brand Classic. That mark is easily the best in the country. The four players selected this season are the second most of any college program.
 
Not counting walk-ons, the Wildcats’ current signing haul features all consensus five- and four-star prospects. Boston and Clarke are ranked the highest in the class with Boston checking in at No. 4 in Rivals’ rankings and Clarke placing No. 4 in 247Sports’ rankings.
 
In every season in the Calipari era, the Wildcats have signed a top-three recruiting class according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, which tallies major recruiting rankings and plugs them into a formula to calculate a consensus ranking. With the fall additions, Kentucky has signed 59 top-50 recruits, 46 top-25 players and 25 top-10 players (according to Rivals) in what will now be Calipari’s 12 recruiting classes at Kentucky.
 
UK can only comment on prospects who have signed official paperwork with the university. The spring signing period begins April 15. 

Final Team Recruiting Rankings in the Calipari Era 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Rivals 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2
247Sports 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2
ESPN 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 3
RSCI 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 2

 
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
 

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