John Calipari Reportedly Visits Thon Maker, Jamal Murray Over the Weekend

John Calipari Reportedly Visits Thon Maker, Jamal Murray Over the Weekend

Over the weekend, Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari took a trip north of the border to visit the Orangeville Prep duo of Thon Maker and Jamal Murray, according to a report from Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal.

Orangeville Prep head coach Larry Blunt was very reticent when asked about Calipari’s visit.

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“I can neither confirm nor deny,” said Blunt. “Those guys have tried to put plans together to meet with [Murray’s] family and the young man. They’ve been up a few times and hopefully they’ll be up again soon.

“It always helps to be able to make a trip and have an opportunity to see multiple guys, I know that.”

Although Blunt wouldn’t directly say whether Calipari was visiting Maker and Murray, numerous reports stated that John Calipari was at the Toronto Raptors playoff game on Saturday, which coincided with his visit to Orangeville Prep.

After losing seven players to the NBA, including four big men, Kentucky is looking to reload this offseason. Unfortunately for Big Blue Nation, the recruiting season has not started off as planned, with Kentucky losing out on blue chip prospects Thomas Bryant (Indiana), Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV) and Caleb Swanigan (Michigan State).

Naturally, the Wildcats have their sights set on the next blue chip prospect, which happens to be Maker and Murray.

However, the issue of reclassification looms large still for Maker and Murray. Both players have trifled with the idea of reclassifying, but neither is officially a part of the 2015 class.

Maker is working towards reclassifying to 2015, but his academic situation probably won’t be resolved until later this summer. That will more than likely force him to enrol in a school for January, which is an even bigger problem for a player that is expected to be “one-and-done” candidate. If his academic situation is not resolved by the end of summer, a return to Orangeville Prep seems likely for Maker.

Jul 18, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Team Canada player Jamal Murray (5) prepares to shoot the ball against Team USA East during the Nike Global Challenge at Trinity University. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

After impressive performances at the Nike Hoop Summit and BioSteel All-Canadian All Star Game, Murray is easily the hottest name on the recruiting trail. Even though both Kentucky and Duke have offered Murray, he remains quiet on his future, saying that him and his family will continue to evaluate their options.

With essentially nothing left to prove at the high school level, reclassifying would make sense for Murray. However, according to his head coach, all indications are that he will remain in the class of 2016.

“I think right now the plan is to say 2016,” Blunt said. “He’s worked really hard in accelerating his academic piece — which is hats off to his family and Jamal for really putting time in — but as far as I know and as far as the discussions, the plan is to stay 2016.”

If Murray does stay in the 2016 class, he will without a doubt be one of the top ranked guards entering next season.

With all the questions surrounding the status of both Maker and Murray, the recruiting process remains very fluid for both players.

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