Rivals.com recruiting writer Krysten Peek remembers walking through a gym in Dallas this summer when Kahlil Whitney, a five-star small forward from Roselle, N.J., had a putback dunk that “shut the gym down” because it was so impressive.
“He is so explosive. His outside shot is so much better than what it used to be. He’s just a different player from a year ago,” said Peek. “He is a fun, explosive player in transition and he is very passionate on the court.”
She told me Tuesday she felt he was a “lock” for Kentucky and that once UK fans saw his highlights, they would “love” him immediately.
Well, she was right about him being a lock for UK as he announced in a Twitter video today that he was joining Texas guard Tyrese Maxey and Pendleton County wing Dontaie Allen in UK’s 2019 recruiting class. I think she will also be right about UK fans loving the way he plays.
He chose Kentucky over offers from Oregon, Louisville, Illinois, Georgetown and St. John’s. He is the 19th rated player in the 2019 class by 247Sports and 14th by ESPN.
ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi says Whitney has “terrific measurable and skills.” He’s 6-7 with a 7-foot wingspan and 40-inch vertical jump.
“There’s major versatility to his game,” Biancardi said.
Whitney had called UK his “dream school” even before he had a scholarship offer and told ESPN how he grew up in Chicago watching John Wall, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Tyler Ulis play for Kentucky.
Whitney told Biancardi today that he knew Kentucky was the place for him when he left — Peek said Tuesday she was surprised he didn’t commit on the visit last weekend and would be stunned if he took a visit to another, which he didn’t. He got to watch UK practice on his visit before the Cats left for the Bahamas like Allen did when he visited earlier last week and committed immediately.