Kentucky Basketball Recruiting 2015: Jamal Murray Reclassifies, Commits to Wildcats
ByThe Kentucky Wildcats enjoyed a major men's basketball recruiting win when five-star guard Jamal Murray not only committed, but re-classified to the class of 2015.
Initially part of next year's class of 2016, Murray decided to move up his high school graduation earlier and enroll in college in the fall after a standout performance at the Nike Hoops Summit, ESPN reported.
He reportedly had offers from Michigan State, Missouri, Oregon and Wake Forest, but was also considering Indiana, Maryland and Illinois. ESPN, 247 Sports and Rivals agree the product of Ontario's Athlete Institute Basketball Academy is a five-star prospect that can play multiple positions on the court.
"At first it was just distance," Murray said in a news conference of his decision to reclassify, according to ESPN. "Being able to stay a little bit closer to my parents. And then looking at the history of Kentucky [putting players in the NBA], made me want to go there even more."
Head men's basketball coach John Calipari got off to a slow start on the recruiting trail after seeing seven players declare for the NBA Draft. Thanks to his reclassification, Murray gives Calipari three five-star prospects in his current class and the commitment came at a time when every player on the 2015 ESPN 100 was off the board.
Calipari will not have the depth to once again institute a platoon system, but he should have an extremely talented six- or seven-man rotation to work with. One of Murray's best qualities is his ability to play all both guard positions as well as the small forward.
At the very least, Murray projects to be an effective knockdown shooter, but his size and athleticism give him a high ceiling as an overall player.