Sports

Kentucky’s Calipari dominant in recruiting game

John Calipari has turned the world of recruiting into a one-horse race.

It’s Kentucky and everyone else.

Last week, Calipari landed Andrew and Aaron Harrison, interchangeable 6-foot-5 guards from Houston, twin brothers who are consensus top-five players in the Class of 2013. On Thursday, forward James Young of Michigan, another top-five recruit, picked Kentucky over Kansas, Syracuse and Michigan State.

Kentucky is on pace to form arguably the nation’s best recruiting class of all time, as it is also in play for Texas power forward Julius Randle, who many consider the top player in this year’s class, and 6-foot-8 wing Andrew Wiggins, a Canadian import considered the top prospect in North America who may reclassify into this year’s class.

Since arriving at Kentucky four years ago, Calipari has made this a habit. Scout.com has ranked his classes No. 1 each of the last four years.

“To be blunt about it, John Calipari is dominating the landscape of recruiting,” said Evan Daniels, Scout’s national recruiting analyst.

The Harrisons were an impressive conquest. All signs pointed to the twins picking Maryland. Their father, Andrew Harrison Sr., has ties to the Baltimore area, is childhood friends with Maryland assistant Bino Ranson and the ACC school is affiliated with Under Armor, the shoe company that funded the Harrisons’ AAU team.

“Of course their dream and most kids’ dream is to someday be the best players ever,” Harrison Sr. said. “How do you get to that point? You play professional basketball. Kentucky, in their eyes, gave them the best chance to get to that point.”

It’s a familiar refrain Daniels has heard over the years. Now, Calipari can add last year’s national title to his selling point: 15 former players in the NBA since he arrived at Kentucky.

“Kentucky is the ‘it’ school right now,” Daniels said.

* Marist landed St. Anthony of Jersey City (N.J.) and Queens native Kentrell Brooks on Wednesday, the senior forward said. …

St. John’s had highly regarded 6-foot-10 senior wing Jermaine Lawrence of Queens, along with Long Island Lutheran point guard Chris Atkinson and St. Mary’s (L.I.) forward Jessie Govan, a top-10 ranked sophomore, at “Red Storm Tip-Off” last night. …

Bishop Loughlin junior shooting guard Khadeen Carrington was at Connecticut’s “First Night,” along with local verbal commits Terrence Samuel of South Shore and Kentan Facey of Long Island Lutheran, and St. Raymond sophomore guard Jaquan McKennon. …

Seton Hall has New York City point guards Isaiah Lewis and Jevon Thomas and Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) power forward Austin Colbert on campus this weekend while Rutgers had Roselle Catholic (N.J.) duo Malachi Richardson and Tyler Roberson at “MidKnight Madness.” …

Brooklyn wing Richard Williams, Archbishop Molloy junior point guard C.J. Davis, Xaverian tandem Raven Owen and Latiek Laney, Wings Academy guards JaeQuan Brown and Marv Berroa, Cardinal Hayes senior point guard Tyler Wilson and St. Raymond sophomore forward Luis Santos were at Manhattan for its Midnight Madness event.