POSTERIZED: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is no kid, he's a man

Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is one of the top freshman in the country. The kid can literally do it all. I'm sure recruiting services don't rate kids based on their dunking skills, but hot-damn, this kid can throw down.

I don't have much else to say because, well, this dunk has me speechless.



When we get a better version of the video, we will get it out to you, because this jam has Dunk of the Year potential

It's ironic that this dunk took place against the Portland Pilots, because Kidd-Gilchrist literally took fight....

But was it as good as these?

Markel Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/15/11
Rodney Williams, Minnesota vs. DePaul, 11/24/11
Thomas Robinson, Kansas vs. Duke, 11/23
Stan Okoye, VMI vs. Ohio State, 11/23
Kyisean Reed, Utah State vs. Southern Utah, 11/19
Ra'Shad James, Iona vs. Western Michigan, 11/18
Alandise Harris, Houston vs. Arkansas, 11/18
Sam Thompson, Ohio State vs. Jackson State, 11/18
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Wichita State, 11/18
Eric Griffin, Campbell vs. North Carolina A&T, 11/18 (DotY Candidate)
Olek Czyz, Nevada vs. Pacific, 11/17
Chris Watson, Pikeville vs. Mountain State, 11/16
Mike James, Lamar vs. Ohio, 11/15 (DotY Candidate)
Quincy Acy, Baylor vs. San Diego State, 11/15
Deniz Kilicli, West Virginia vs. Kent State, 11/15
Chris Evans, Kent State vs. West Virginia, 11/15
Tony Mitchell, Alabama vs. Oakland, 11/14
Isaiah Brown, East Tennessee State vs. Virginia Tech, 11/12
Michael Lyons, Air Force vs. Army, 11/11
Dezmine Wells, Xavier vs. Morgan State, 11/11
Jeremy Lamb, UConn vs. Columbia, 11/11 (DotY Candidate)
Andre Drummond, UConn vs. CW Post, 11/4
Moe Harkless, St. John's vs. CW Post, 10/26

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Is Mike Gilchrist still the best recruit?

As we mentioned on Wednesday, Michael Gilchrist, a 6'6" small forward from St. Patrick's in New Jersey (where he teamed up with Kyrie Irving), has essentially been the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2011 since the class of 2011 has been ranked.

Yeah, he's that good.

But after the performances and the exposure that some kids got this week at the Nike Peach Jam event, Gilly might not have the strangle hold on that spot that many thought.

The conversation starts with Austin Rivers, Doc's kid and Jeremiah's brother. Rivers is a 6'4" scoring machine with range and athleticism for days. A Florida kid, he was originally committed to the Gators, but many believe he is on his way to Duke.

Then there is Quincy Miller, a 6'8" combo forward with the ability to step out and hit a jump shot. Some are already calling Miller a poor man's Kevin Durant. He didn't play in the Peach Jam, in part because he just got back from Germany with the U17 squad, but that doesn't change the fact that every coach in the country -- including John Calipari -- is chasing this kid.

But the real winner this past week was Anthony Davis. Davis is a bit of a late-bloomer. He finally cracked Scout's top 100 list in May, mainly because he's sprouted a good six or seven inches in the last year or so, but that doesn't change the fact that Davis might have the highest ceiling in the country.

Wanna talk about making an impression?

Four of the most respected names in the business -- Jeff Goodman, Dave Telep, Mike DeCourcy, and Evan Daniels -- gave Davis rave reviews this weekend. Davis now stands 6'10", and with his mobility, athleticism, and length, he is already a terror on the defensive end. He will only get better offensively as he grows into his body, which is why he is drawing so much attention.

Take a look for yourself (videos via Chris Littman):





Davis, who is listed as 8th by Rivals and 5th by Scout in their latest top 100's, is apparently down to just three schools -- Kentucky, Ohio State, and Syracuse. (Can you imagine Davis playing a wing in Syracuse's zone with Fab Melo in the middle? Terrifying.)

Whoever lands this kid will be landing a star.


(On a side note, part of what makes Gilchrist so appealing as a prospect is his humility. He's said in numerous interviews he's nothing more than a mama's boy. Last night, he tweeted this:

Shout out to Anthony Davis, a lot of people think I would be mad that he's number 1 but I'm happy for him for real!

Tough to root against either one of these young men.)
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Michael Gilchrist don't need no stinking sleep

Mike Gilchrist has long been considered the best prospect in the class of 2011, and many believe it is a runaway.

A 6'6" wing, Gilchrist is a talented slasher that can get to the rim and has developed a nice mid-range game. His range is ever-improving, but his offense arsenal isn't the only reason he is so highly regarded. Gilchrist plays the game hard, he is a willing and capable defender with the athleticism to defend guards on the perimeter and the length to hold his own on the block. He is also an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. Simply put, Gilchrist is one of the most polished all-around players in the country, and with impressive physical tools and a jump shot that needs perfecting, his ceiling is quite high.

Mike Gilchrist, who teamed with Duke-bound Kyrie Irving at St. Patrick's, is headed to Kentucky next year.
(photo credit: NJ.com)

For someone that has essentially been the No. 1 recruit in his class since he was a freshman, you would think that it would be tough for him to impress scouts.

Well, that is until you read these articles from Adam Zagoria and Mike DeCourcy.

You see, Gilchrist was in Germany with guys like James McAdoo, Austin Rivers, Tony Wroten, and Brad Beal -- essentially a who's who of the class of 2011 -- where the US U17 squad won a gold medal in the world championships. Gilchrist didn't land back in the States until 10:40 pm Monday night, when he landed in Charlotte. He didn't make it to his hotel room in Augusta, GA, until 5:00 am on Tuesday morning.

Gilchrist, playing for Team Final, had a game scheduled for 9:00 am on Tuesday morning in Nike's Peach Jam AAU Tournament. So after flying into Charlotte, via Washington DC, from Germany, then driving six hours to get to Augusta, Gilchrist slept for all of two and a half hours before getting woken up by his AAU coach.

Gilchrist wasn't scheduled to play -- they were going to have him watch the game from the sidelines -- but he suited up ... and dropped 26 points and 9 boards on Mean Streets, an AAU team that just happens to have Anthony Davis, a fellow top five recruit in the class of 2011.

That, my friends, is impressive.

Gilchrist has already committed to Kentucky.

You think John Calipari was happy with what he saw?
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Calipari cleans up ... again

Yesterday was the first day of the spring signing period, and as everyone expected, John Calipari cleaned up.

For starters, he signed 6'10", 240 lb Turkish big man Enes Kanter. Kanter is a bit on a controversial recruit. A coveted prospect in Europe, Kanter wanted to play basketball and get an education at an american school, turning down multi-million dollar deals. The issue, however, is not whether or not he played with professionals, however (the rule that got fellow Turk Deniz Kilicli suspended for West Virginia's first 20 games is going to be changed). The question is whether or not Kanter himself is a professional. He is only 17 years old, and FIBA rules state that you must be 18 to sign a contract, but there are rumors that Kanter has been getting paid under the table.

Kanter put 34 points and 14 boards on the USA in the Nike Hoop Summit.
(photo credit: Sporting News)

Kanter has been cleared academically, but so was Renardo Sidney. It will be interesting to follow this process over the coming months.

Kanter's signing was just a start. Later in the day, Coach Cal landed the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010 in Brandon Knight, the fourth straight star point guard recruit he has signed. Kentucky already has 6'5" Stacey Poole signed, a four star recruit, which means Cal has already landed one of the best recruiting classes in the country, and he still could get a couple more five-star recruits, specifically 6'9" CJ Leslie, a former HS teammate of John Wall.

Brandon Knight is Coach Cal's next star point guard.
(photo credit: Lexington Herald)

The day wasn't yet over, as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2011, Michael Gilchrist, a 6'7" small forward that has drawn comparisons to a guy like Scottie Pippen, committed to Kentucky (he can't sign yet).

Other signing day news:

• Both Ray McCallum, Jr., and Trey Zeigler were highly touted back court recruits. Both players had fathers coaching at mid-major programs in Michigan -- McCallum, Sr., is the head coach at Detroit while Ernie Zeigler is the coach at Central Michigan. Surprising no one, both players decided to stay at home and play for their fathers. Detroit should be pretty good next season, as they return their three top scorers, none of whom play the point, leaving McCallum room to come in and start right away. If Gordon Hayward stays in the draft, its possible that Detroit becomes the favorite in the Horizon. Zeigler is in a different position. Central Michigan loses three of their top four scorers from a team that went just 15-15. He will be counted on for a lot of scoring early in his career.


• Marquette got an early start at replacing Lazar Hayward when they signed JuCo player of the year Jae Crowder. Crowder averaged 19 and 9 for the NJCAA national title winners at Howard College while also knocking down 54 threes. At 6'6", 225 lb, he's about the same size as Hayward as well. But Hayward's shoes will be big ones to fill.
  


• The next big day in recruiting is Saturday, as quite a few players -- including CJ Leslie and Josh Selby -- are expected to declare at some point during the Jordan Brand all-american game.
  

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Coach K is hitting the recruiting trail hard

I don't think anyone will argue with me if I say Duke has one of the best basketball programs in the country.

But over the last few seasons, Coach K's bunch has not been as dominant as they were in the 90's. Since 2001, the Blue Devils have made it past the Sweet Sixteen just once, a 2004 run to the Final Four. They have reached the tournament every season with a smattering of ACC regular season and conference championships thrown in there, which would be a great run for just about any program in the country.

But we are talking about Duke.

Expectations are high down in Durham.

The reason why the Blue Devils haven't been the same Blue Devils is a tough question to answer. Have they had a dominant play maker in their back court since Jason Williams left? Are their stars too soft to handle the pressure of playing in March? Do they rely too much on the three? Does the team break down by the end of the season?

This image has been a common one for recent Duke teams.
(photo credit: photobucket)

The bottom line is that Duke just hasn't been getting the same caliber of talent into their program of late. Instead of landing a Christian Laettner, they get a Josh McRoberts. Instead of Jason Williams, its Jon Scheyer. Elton Brand is now Lance Thomas.

I don't mean to be speaking ill of the current Dukies, because these are still kids that are playing for a team that wins 25-plus games a year in the ACC. That is very impressive. But Thomas, Scheyer, and McRoberts are not going to be making NBA all-star teams. And as we have said time and time again, that NBA ready talent is what you need to win titles in college.

So is the issue recruiting?

It seems to be a fair argument, as Coach K has just missed on quite a few big time recruits over the last couple of summers. Patrick Patterson, Greg Monroe, John Wall, and Kenny Boynton are just a few of the big names that flirted heavily with the idea of playing for Coach K.

Imagine a starting line-up of those four and Kyle Singler.

Scary, right?

But things may be looking up for the Blue Devils.

Kyrie Irving is a consensus top 10 recruit in the class of 2010 (9th by Rivals, 6th by ESPN, 5th by Scout). For most of the summer, it was believed that Indiana and Duke were the two leaders to land his services. But last week, Irving announced that he would not be taking an official visit in Bloomington, putting the Blue Devils squarely in the drivers seat according to most media outlets.

Is Kyrie Irving headed to Durham?
(photo credit: Herald Times)

Irving's official visit to Duke over the weekend only added fuel to the fire. Adam Zagoria reported yesterday that the trip was an overwhelming success as the Crazies were out in full force. Irving raved about his trip on Twitter, and if Justin Young or Jeff Goodman is to be believed, a commitment is imminent.

But there's more.

Most believe that Harrison Barnes, who is arguably the best player in the class of 2010 (1st by Scout, 1st by ESPN, 2nd by Rivals), has favored Duke for a while (he takes his official visit there on October 23rd), but that may have changed after his trip to see the UNC alumni game.

Austin Rivers, Doc's son and Jeremiah's brother, is a top ten recruit in the class of 2011 and has long been committed to Florida. But he recently took a trip to the Duke campus, and some believe he may now be choosing between the two schools.

And do I need to mention that Irving's teammate at St. Patrick's in Michael Gilchrist, a 2011 recruit that may actually be the best player in the country.

While it may be all speculation right now, if Coach K can finally land two or three of these kids, would any be surprised to see the Devils celebrating in Houston in 2011?

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