Cards, Cats pursuing five-star guard Blankeney
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — The University of Kentucky has joined the race for one of the University of Louisville's top recruiting targets — five-star Orlando shooting guard Antonio Blakeney — but the Cardinals are keeping up their longtime pursuit.
Blakeney, an electric scorer at the rim and from deep, called it a "blessing" to receive scholarship offers from UK and North Carolina last week, but he said he also still feels like a major priority for the Cardinals, who had coach Rick Pitino and two assistants at his game early Thursday afternoon at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam.
The UK and UNC offers made an impression on Blakeney, but the Cards, who have been seen as top contenders for months, haven't slipped as a result of them.
Asked whether U of L remains one of his top options, Blakeney said, "Oh, yeah, definitely. Hell yeah. Pitino and (Louisville are) definitely one of my top schools."
Blakeney, who is also being recruited by Kansas, Florida, Florida State, LSU and many others, is just the second uncommitted guard in the 2015 to get a UK offer, joining Mississippi's Malik Newman. John Calipari's staff evaluated him last week at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas, and Blakeney was glad to gain membership into UK's selective club of offer recipients.
"I was happy (to receive the offer) because I know Coach Cal only offers pros, and in order for him to offer me, he must feel like I'm a pro," he said after helping the Each1Teach1 club to a win. "And that's my ultimate goal: to be a pro."
Even though the Cats' offer comes relatively late in the process — it's a year after U of L offered, for instance — UK figures to move into serious contention for Blakeney.
"Just because of the program they have and their reputation and what they do with their players, they are going to be in the top," he said.
Blakeney said he hadn't necessarily been waiting to receive a UK offer but "was looking forward to" getting one at some point.
"It's one of the best programs, and of course I want to get offers from all the best programs in the country," he said, adding that Calipari plans to watch his games this week.
And in Blakeney's opinion, why wouldn't every top program want him on its team?
"I think I'm the best scoring guard in the class," he said.
Blakeney has not set date for when he'll narrow his recruiting list, but he plans to use the next two weeks to monitor which coaches come to his games and how much each program appears to want him.
He also hasn't scheduled any official visits but plans to take five. Blakeney visited U of L last season for its home game against Cincinnati.
RECRUITING NOTES
• UK has made a new offer in the 2016 class, to five-star guard Malik Monk of Bentonville, Ark. Monk, a dynamic leaper and shooter who scored 59 points in an EYBL game this spring, is ranked No. 6 nationally by Rivals.com.?
• Pitino and assistant Kenny Johnson, Indiana University coach Tom Crean and coaches from Duke and Xavier were among the recruiters who watched Trinity's Ray Spalding play for The Ville on Thursday in the Peach State Summer Showcase, played a town over from the Peach Jam.
The Ville won two games, over Jay Bilas-coached Charlotte Reign and Enterprise Elite. Spalding had 17 points in the first game and 13 in the second.
Wofford, IUPUI and Northern Kentucky, which have made offers to The Ville/Trinity wing Jax Levitch, Troy and Samford also watched.
• Texas Tech is the latest school to offer Owensboro power forward Aric Holman, who is playing with Hoop Dreams in the Under Armour Association Finals in Suwanee, Ga.
Steve Jones can be reached at (502) 582-7176 and followed on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.