By MATT WHITFIELD
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Immanuel Quickley and Louis King are likely having the most action-packed summer of their lives.
In addition to seeing their recruitment pick up at the highest level, the duo will begin training Sunday in Colorado Springs, Colo., for the USA U19 team that is headed to the FIBA World Championship in Cairo, Egypt July 1-9.
Quickley and King are two of the five rising high school seniors among the 28 tryouts for a team coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari. The finalists will be named on Tuesday.
“It’s been good, I’m just embracing the grind,” Quickley said this week at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. “And actually I got USA U19 just after this so I’m just embracing it.
“You can never be ready for all of it but you just to try and take it day by day and fight through it.”
Immanuel Quickley too smooth ? @IQ_GodSon pic.twitter.com/fXgN9BAX1M
— Overtime (@overtime) June 16, 2017
King added he was looking forward to the tryouts, too.
“It could be a great show,” he said. “I got out here and exploit my talent.”
On the recruiting front, the 6-foot-3 Quickley out of John Carroll (Md.) School has narrowed his list to Maryland, Kansas, Miami, and Kentucky, while the 6-8 King out of Hudson (N.J.) Catholic seems a bit more open.
“Me and [Maryland coach Mark] Turgeon, we got really close over the years because as soon as he took the job he started to recruit me at an early age,” Quickley said.
“[With Miami] they told me if you feel Miami’s a really good fit go there,” he added. “I really like the fact they brought all their coaches to the in home visits.
“[With Kansas] I think their player development is a big part of it. Originally [Frank Mason] was supposed to go to Towson, which is around my area so I know how big of a difference it is between Towson and Kansas and for him to do that and win Player of the Year that’s really good.”
With Quickley, Kentucky looks like the team to beat, however.
“I think Cal says basically what he says to every other kid,” he said. “He only offers pros. So for him to think that’s a humbling and a blessing so I think that’s really cool.”
Asked if Calipari held a recruiting advantage with the five high school players in the U19 mix, Quickley said he did.
“Actually, I can’t lie,” he said. “t does give him an advantage just because I get to spend more time [with him] but all the coaches tell me they’ll be able to see me in Colorado.”
Even though it’s not a live period, college coaches can scout at the U19 trials and may will be in Cairo, too.
King also has a ton of major offers. He told ZAGSBLOG in April he was hearing a lot from Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon, UCLA, Syracuse, and Indiana. King also mentioned two other prominent schools at the NBA Top 100 Camp.
Money ball for Louis King ? @SweetLouu2 @TeamFinalHoops #2017EYBL pic.twitter.com/CWNy5erWVx
— Overtime (@overtime) May 3, 2017
“I’ve been talking [North Carolina assistant Brad Frederick],” he said, adding he’d like to take a visit there. “He contacted me a month ago and we’ve been keeping in contact.”
King also mentioned Maryland and how he was going to take a visit there in August.
“I’ve talked to Coach Bino [Ranson] like last week,” he said. “We talk on Facetime and he’s just talking about how this camp is going to be and how the visit is going to in August.”
Kentucky is very interested in him, but has yet to offer.
With the duo about to be coached by Calipari, it’ll be interesting to see if one or both potentially wind up at Kentucky.
