By now you’ve no doubt heard the news that Dakotah Euton, a 6-8 forward from Rose Hill Academy has made an oral commitment to Kentucky. Euton is 16. He’ll be a sophomore next season. A sophomore in high school. That’s the second early commitment the Cats have picked up since Billy Gillispie signed on as coach back in April. G.J. Valarino, a point guard from McKinney, Texas, has already made a commitment to sign with UK as part of the 2009 class.
What do these early commitments accomplish?
Plenty. Momentum, for starters. It’s all about momentum and Gillispie is collecting plenty of it early in his UK tenure. Add the two early commitments to Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion, Billy G.’s pickups for the 2007 class. Having oral commitments from top players helps recruit other players in the same class. For the most part, good players want to play with good players. Look at North Carolina’s recruiting success. It also appeases the fan base, which is always thinking about the future.
What if Euton digresses in his next three high school years? Could happen. But probably won’t. For one thing, Euton has the pressure off now. He’s decided on a college. Picking Kentucky makes him more of a target for opposing teams, but the guess is that Gillispie thinks he can handle it.
Links:
- Jerry Tipton’s report on Euton commitment. [Lexington Herald-Leader]
- Victoria Sun’s report on Euton commitment. [Cincinnati Post]
I am not sure of the wisdom of a kid committing this early, but if a worthy player is going to committ, it might as well be to UK.
Ken Howlett