Recruits believe in Cats

[AndyPopCat]

Monday October 24, 2005


Vaught's Views: Recruits believe in Cats

By LARRY VAUGHT
Sports Editor

A lot of things about Kentucky football just have not made sense this season.How could a team that played so well the second half against Louisville struggle to beat Idaho State and get dominated by Indiana?

How could any team have as many injuries to key players as Kentucky has had this season?

How can running back Rafael Little not remember ever fumbling going back to his Little League days and then suddenly lose four fumbles in two games?

How could UK come off two open dates and play no better at South Carolina and Mississippi than the Cats did?

But the most amazing part of another disappointing season for coach Rich Brooks and Kentucky fans is how well recruiting is going.

Remember, Kentucky is 1-5 and still has Auburn, Vanderbilt, Georgia and Tennessee left to play after it hosts Mississippi State Saturday. Yet just last week UK got three more verbal commitments -- St. Xavier lineman Justin Jefferies, Memphis running back LaRay Foote and California junior college defensive end J.D. Craigman.

That brings UK's verbal commitment list to 13 -- and that's not counting former Louisville signee Maurice Grinter who plans to enroll at UK in January after the Cardinals ran out of scholarships in August.

So what's going on? How can Brooks and his coaches convince recruits to commit to UK when the team is losing and many fans and media members are calling for UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart to fire Brooks?


"I just think we are doing a good job evaluating and communicating with prospects. Hopefully, they see the future," Brooks said. "It's obvious we are getting commitments from good players and they have a little more belief than some others do about what is going on here."...


http://www.amnews.com/public_html/?module=displaystory&story_id=17156&format=html

[Wildcat Derrick]

Andy, how dare you post this positive mess online. Gosh, I just can't believe it. ;)

It is amazing how 18 year olds have more foresight than some 30, 40 or 50 something fans do...

thanks andy for your hard work, love reading your stuff!

[gerntz]

You shouldn't be amazed. Some folks focus on the short-term all their lives.

[T75]

gerntz wrote: You shouldn't be amazed. Some folks focus on the short-term all their lives.And lots of folks get by well with the "one day at a time" philosophy.:cool:

[Wildcat Derrick]

gerntz wrote: You shouldn't be amazed. Some folks focus on the short-term all their lives.Yeah I know, I'm an investment broker. Long term to some folks is 3 hours:D

[CatsSaintsFan]

.There are kids who are far more intersted in playing time and a quicker opportunity for exposure than being a guaranteed winner.

Kentucky provides immediate opportunity to play

This staff is known for playing young kids early

Regardless of the product, we stll play in the best conference in football.

Kids get a chance for 4 years of exposure and not 2 (because they spent 2-3 years behind someone just as good)

This is why Tubby struggles in recruiting most of the time. Has a bad rep for not playing young kids. Today's kids don't wanna wait their turn or God forbid...earn the time on the field or court.

[heatwave13]

Thanks for the read. Finally, some encouraging news on the recruiting front. I hope these young men will be successful.

[UKCatsRock]

I love Jeffries already. Just as Derrick said, it's amazing that young men not even out of high school seem to use more common sense than most.

Jeffries never said playing time was an issue. What he said was that UK was up and coming, that we have a solid class so far this year, have a lot of good players. He then said something like, "Kentucky is going to be really good and I want to be a part of that." He also said that he wanted to be one of those guys who helped rebuild the program. (I've got chills typing this in, no joke.)

But, here is a quote from the article. Almost sounds like some of our posts on here doesn't it, posts that got blasted and ridiculed. Read it for yourself.
"He (Joker) was awesome, but Kentucky's record really doesn't worry me because I went to the U of L game when they had all their players. I felt they showed a lot about what type of team is coming up. With the injuries they've had this year, it's hard to win in the Southeastern Conference. I was looking more down the road at the program instead of just at how they were doing this year."
Smart young man. :)

[Will Lavender]

CatsSaintsFan wrote: This is why Tubby struggles in recruiting most of the time. Has a bad rep for not playing young kids. Today's kids don't wanna wait their turn or God forbid...earn the time on the field or court.
I know this isn't a basketball forum, but this point is just wrong.

I have the Michigan State game Tivo'd from last year. Looks like to me, Tubby played four freshman heavily, starting two of them.

[poodoo]

I had read Jeffries' comments. You are exactly right. I wish all UK fans would read what Jeffries says here. As I repeatedly post, high school players who actually play the game FULLY REALIZE how the injuries this team has experienced this season affect a team's performance. While many of our fans call those almost unbelievable injuries "excuses," Jeffries and other recruits, especially ones who sawUK's play against Louisville while we at least had most of our players, see them as "reasons," just as some of us fans do.

Thanks for the link, Andy. This Vaught column and thread is one I would love for all UK recruits to read. :)

UKCatsRock wrote:
I love Jeffries already. Just as Derrick said, it's amazing that young men not even out of high school seem to use more common sense than most.

Jeffries never said playing time was an issue. What he said was that UK was up and coming, that we have a solid class so far this year, have a lot of good players. He then said something like, "Kentucky is going to be really good and I want to be a part of that." He also said that he wanted to be one of those guys who helped rebuild the program. (I've got chills typing this in, no joke.)

But, here is a quote from the article. Almost sounds like some of our posts on here doesn't it, posts that got blasted and ridiculed. Read it for yourself.
"He (Joker) was awesome, but Kentucky's record really doesn't worry me because I went to the U of L game when they had all their players. I felt they showed a lot about what type of team is coming up. With the injuries they've had this year, it's hard to win in the Southeastern Conference. I was looking more down the road at the program instead of just at how they were doing this year."
Smart young man. :)

[bleedbluelady]

poodoo wrote: I had read Jeffries' comments. You are exactly right. I wish all UK fans would read what Jeffries says here. As I repeatedly post, high school players who actually play the game FULLY REALIZE how the injuries this team has experienced this season affect a team's performance. While many of our fans call those almost unbelievable injuries "excuses," Jeffries and other recruits, especially ones who sawUK's play against Louisville while we at least had most of our players, see them as "reasons," just as some of us fans do.

Thanks for the link, Andy. This Vaught column and thread is one I would love for all UK recruits to read. :)
Hhhmmm. I'm pretty sure I heard a very sharp lady pretty much say this on Brook's call-in show tonight. ;):)

[RV]

I also heard the 'poodoo'. :)They need to tape hersegment and play it for prospective recruits. Great job!