Terrence Jones completed one of the more stunning recruitments in recent memory Wednesday night when he signed with Kentucky after initially making a verbal commitment to Washington.
“We chose Kentucky,” Linda Mashia-Jones, Terrence’s mother, wrote by text at 11:37 p.m.
She later added that Terrence just signed financial aid papers, not an NLI.
“Just fin[ancial] papers,” she wrote by text.
Jones himself later Tweeted: “Either way 1 fan base was gonna hate me ….sooo how much wud u care.”
He added: “Yeah most hated player n 2010 goes 2 me.”
Kentucky and Washington are both scheduled to play in this year’s Maui Invitational, although the draw has yet to be released.
The Jones news was first reported by Scout.com.
Jones made a verbal commitment to Washington during a press conference April 30 but never signed with the Huskies.
Even after the press conference, Jones spoke with Kentucky coach John Calipari and speculation arose that he was still considering Kentucky.
Linda added that Terrence stopped by the Washington campus Tuesday.
“Yesterday [he] rode up with a friend and stopped by UW to say hi,” she said.
Jones gives Kentucky a blockbuster recruiting class just one year after losing four freshmen to the NBA.
The Wildcats have already signed guards Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb; wing Stacey Poole; Turkish sensation Enes Kanter; and JUCO forward Eloy Vargas.
Kentucky now has three of the top 13 and four of the top 21 players in the Class of 2010, per Rivals: Kanter (3), Knight (6), Jones (13) and Lamb (21).
Calipari said last month on ESPNU that he hoped to bring in “five or six players” this year. He told the network that last year’s Kentucky team demonstrated that a group of young talented players can achieve great things if they come to school together with a willingness to work hard.
“If you want to go fast, go alone,” he told ESPNU. “If you want to go far, go together.”
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rbcat / May 19, 2010
Cal gets it’s done…3 recruits in the top 10!!! Welcome to BiG BLUE Nation TJ. You will love it. I can tell you one year and one day ago we had another big announcement…John Wall said he was coming to Kentucky. One year later—you have created the same buzz… We hope your parents get to move to Kentucky so they can enjoy this great atmosphere that we have in our BIG BLUE Nation.
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tsmooth / May 19, 2010
As I said in the other thread, good pick-up. He seemed almost like a lock to UW according to the people I spoke to around the UW camp. UW certainly drops to the lower top 15, and UK rises to like #13 or 12.
Lots of talent on this year’s UK team, but not as much as last year, and not as much veteran leadership.
Should be a wide open CBB season. Looking forward to it.
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Gohard / May 19, 2010
I wonder how his friend Terrence Ross feels now, still a talented team at UW but Im sure they planned to go to school together. This makes the 2nd recruit that committed to UW that Calipari has stolen. Excellent work
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BostonCat / May 20, 2010
How can this be? All the insiders here said KU wasin the picture or that he wouldn’t leave the west coast. Lol
great pick up, really good kid who will be excellent next season
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ChicagoUK / May 20, 2010
I was surprised to see Evan Daniels suggest that UK’s 2010 class could be better than 2009. As excited as I am about 2010, John Wall and Boogie Cousins were once-in-a-decade talents. All the mock drafts have Orton as a lottery pick and Bledsoe in the first round. I just don’t see that in Knight, Lamb, Kanter and Jones. Vargas and Poole will likely use their eligibility.
I hope I am wrong!
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tsmooth / May 20, 2010
Most knew that he’s been 50-50 since decommitting.
KU was only in the picture for about 25 mins, and most KU insiders knew that.
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tsmooth / May 20, 2010
I thought ED said it wasn’t?
In no way does UK’s 2010 class come to matching 2009’s.
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bigpapijugg / May 20, 2010
No evan said replied “i cant” to cutlers comment of “someone tell me why this class isnt as goid as 2009”. The only difference is the fact that this year we dont have great players returning. What will make up for that is the fact that every player we signed us described as a shooter(except vargas) and thats what will make up for the lack of john wall.
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pastaboy / May 20, 2010
Ky . will be better this year than last year …..2 point guards and a head case at center ….. plus a slow half court set up guy in Patterson . Great talent yes …..but not players who really work in Cal’s world . This team could go 40 and 0 and win the NC ……and make it look easy .
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creature / May 20, 2010
I don’t think people are giving Brandon Knight enough credit. I see Knight as a better PG…a coach on the floor and a guy who can run plays. John Wall was fab in transition, but he turned the ball over quite a bit. Neither of UK’s fast guards could really penetrate zones and create shots out of nothing. It’s more than just the explosive first step. You have to sort of crab-dribble to get into the lane and you have to keep the ball moving in unexpected directions to keep from getting stripped. Bledsoe especially used to launch himself toward the hoop without a plan. Wall was a tiny bit stick-legged…the cramps he used to get are a bad sign.
Patterson didn’t shine because they couldn’t run plays for him. But Kanter is going to turn out to be a very smart passing post man. Eventually Kentucky will have Jones and Gilchrist slashing from the wing…Kanter and Vargas up top…and Knight and Teague distributing for Lamb and who knows, Wroten. Then there are the other good players, Miller, Liggins, Poole…what really convinced everybody was the fact that a UK sub, Orton, still gets into the lottery. Some players may not get everything they want…but it’s not just playing time, it’s exposure. Wall was marketed as a style and a personality…and that marketing job turned out to be worth millions, and he didn’t even win the tournament (well he won the SEC)
UK will win a lot of games in 2010-11…but in 2011-12 they will be loaded like the 1996 team. If there’s a lockout…nobody gets to be a one and done. Some people might decide to go to Europe.
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MilesCat / May 20, 2010
You are crazy pastaboy. I like your passion, but I don’t think we can be better than last year. We are younger team than last year. We will lose more games than 3, but I do think by the end f the year we have a chance to advance as far or farther than last year with TJ’s committment. Cal has a lot of work to do with this team. Once again, it is good to be a UK fan and I am very excited about this team.TJ was a huge piece to the puzzle!
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TJCPenny / May 20, 2010
Johnny Manchower does it again – the guy is so sleazy he must leave an oil trail when he walks down the street.
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TheFinger / May 20, 2010
“Just fin[ancial] papers,” she wrote by text.
i wonder what his financial terms were.
just jealousy, pure and simple. can’t really say i feel sorry for romar after he poached gaddy from us. what goes around…
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Wheatgerm / May 20, 2010
I like this crop better than last. Better shooters, better balance, more versatility in the frontcourt. I loved Cousins. Best center we ever had. But it sounds like Kanter is a more skilled, more polished beast who can play away from the rim. No sacrilege to the Blue Jesus, but I just can’t believe we’re going to drop off significantly at the point with Knight. If you’re honest, Bledsoe disappointed much of the season. Lamb promises to be a more consistent scorer, particularly from midrange. And all we lost with Orton was potential. He didn’t show a great deal last year other than an injudicious love for shot blocking.
So props to those guys, for sure. Gonna love ’em always. But I think we take a step forward with Knight and Lamb, Kanter and Jones, Poole and Vargas. They join a nice handful of players, including Miller and Liggins, who have a year of Calipari under their belts. So not everyone has to learn from scratch. That’s a plus we didn’t have last year.
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blasphemy / May 20, 2010
Wow, I thought you only had eyes of hate for Calipari and UK…….. sorry I miss-judged you.
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pastaboy / May 20, 2010
I still think Kanter will be better than Cousins ….Cousins is a great talent but his attitude was horrible . I can’t wait till he pulls a tantrem in the NBA ….lol ….he’ll sit and pay fines his rookie year most likely. I rank Cal’s last 4 PG’s ……1. Rose 2. Evans 3. Knight 4. Wall <———————–overrated .
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TheFinger / May 20, 2010
congrats to y’all. coach cal is your latter day santa claus.
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ChicagoUK / May 20, 2010
OK, I am ecstatic about the 2010 class but better than 2009? C’mon guys, there is no way..
Wall vs. Knight? You have to be clinically insane to consider Knight better
Cousins vs. Kanter? I have tremendous expectations of Kanter but Boogie was the most efficient college player in decades. Cousins for me.
Bledsoe vs. Lamb? Tough call.. could go either way
Jones vs. Orton? Tough call too.. but Orton is a lottery pick
Vargas/Poole vs. Dodson/Hood: Draw.
Wall and Boogie were once-in-a-generation talents.. we will see talents like that at UK very soon (Gilchrist and Teague) but not in 2010.
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tsmooth / May 20, 2010
You. Are. An. Idiot. No way is Knight a better player than Wall.
Evans isn’t a PG.
Therefore, the list should go as follows: Rose, Wall, Knight.
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BostonCat / May 20, 2010
Still makes me laugh. “jones is not leaving the west coast”
LOL
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tsmooth / May 20, 2010
Would you be saying this had he not left?
Even Evan Daniels had him going to UW. People who cover UK had him going to UW.
From all indications, he was headed that way.
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BostonCat / May 20, 2010
Well the people who I listen too said different. And they have been right about everything since cal was hired, even non recruiting stuff. So I felt pretty confident
Daniels is a good scout, and get up to the minute info on events but when it comes to behind the scenes stuff he isn’t that good. He had teague 60/40 to UL when It was a done deal for UK for some time.
I know I wouldn’t run my mouth like some do here. If they had some legit info that was wrong that’s fine, it happens. But the fact that so few of those posters who have not said anything makes me think they really have no clue what was really going on, just talking smack and hoping to be right.
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blasphemy / May 20, 2010
Are you alright today? You seem a bit perturbed. You are not your usual self.
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blasphemy / May 20, 2010
At least not from what I have observed. Both my posts were directed at Ts.
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pastaboy / May 20, 2010
LOL …Evans played PG at Memphis …. I watched 14 of the games in person nimrod …trust me ..he played the point from the 6th game on .Wall is overrated ….Pg’s avging 4 to’s a game are suspect ….I don’t care how high they can jump.
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rbcat / May 20, 2010
Jealousy will do you know good…You want to join our Big Blue Nation?
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JB_Husky / May 20, 2010
Congratulations to the Kentucky fans on signing Terrance Jones, a young man with some great basketball skills. In one way I am disappointed that the Huskies lost out on Jones, but on the other hand as I have read on your Kentucky blogs it is difficult to build a strong consistent program on one and out players. Maybe it was a good thing we didn’t get him. I maybe old fashion, I want players who want to play for the Huskies not players who can’t make up their minds. I want these young men with strength of character and integrity with their decisions. I have read about the pressures on these young men of this age is too much and they tend to wavier. Isn’t interesting I know of many young men of this age group across this nation who are making decisions for the military and go to places like Iraq and Afghanistan and these decisions could end their life not just play basketball. I may sound like I have sour grapes over this decision and maybe I do. A big part of this equation is John Calipari. Terrance Jones chose the Huskies and then you have Calipari unrelenting pursuing of Jones. There are a lot of coaches that once Jones chose the Huskies they were done talking with Jones. But not Calipari. There is or should be more than just recruiting and coaching these young men. There is building character traits, integrity, GPA, and graduation that go on long after these basketball careers are over. John Calipari could not carry Lorenzo Romar”s jock strap when it comes to building character, integrity, GPA, and graduation. There is an old saying that “you can predict the future by the recent pass.” Do you remember U Mass and Memphis, and the shambles he left those schools. Sure there is always the fact he didn’t know what his players were doing, but isn’t funny it tends to follow him. And now we have the possibility of the NBA. I want a coach that wants to be at my school and not always looking for the next gig. Even if he does not go to the NBA this time around, where there is smoke there is fire. Give it time he will leave you just like U Mass and Memphis and what condition will he leave your program . A leopard can never change his spots. In a time when we as a nation exercise the lack of integrity and character in our government, banks, insurance companies, and mortgage companies we are up in arms. Except when it comes to our college sports and we think that these issues that go across our nation in college sports is OK as long as we having a winning program. The bottom line is did I want Jones at the Huskies you bet, am I disappointed you bet . But after all I have seen and read in the past couple of months of John Calipari and Terrance Jones grandstanding for attention, there is not enough deodorant, mouth wash, and soap to remove the stench of John Calipari and his jumping from school to school, and recruiting methods. Long after these young men leave basket ball what Lorenzo Romar leaves with his recruits will last a lot longer than what John Calipari leaves his recruits. My question to you is if it was your son and deciding on a lifetime of character and integrity gained and not a basketball career that will end, who do you want your son to play for? Adolph Rupp didn’t build an outstanding reputation and history at Kentucky by John Calipari’s methods. John Calipari and Terrance Jones deserve each other.
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pastaboy / May 21, 2010
“Boogie ” is a mal content ….. talented yes …but not a leader
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
He sure did, but out of necessity. Tyreke is not a pure PG like Rose or Wall. He has to have the ball in his hands to be effective, therefore he ran the point, but HE ISN”T A PG.
Trust me. I cover the team. Therefore, I know why he ran the point.
Yea, Wall sure is overrated. That’s why he’s the consensus #1 pick. Know what you’re talking about
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
It wasn’t a done deal for Teague. Anyone who said otherwise doesn’t know what was happening behind the scenes.
You’re right about everything in your third paragraph.
Teague was a heavy L’ville lean. UK came hard on him towards the end of his recruitment. At the time Daniels said 60-40, he was right. But recruiting changes daily, if not hourly.
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
I’m fine. Had a long last couple of nights, interviewing and typing out my story. Got bombarded with a lot of schoolwork, too.
Just happy TJones’ recruitment is over with to be honest. Now time for the 2011 class.
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BostonCat / May 21, 2010
Teague to uk was a done deal for a while. Any one who says different doesn’t have good sources on that situation. Believe what you want I guess.
jones to uk was done for a while too. It was uk before the announcement as well. The kid literally switched his mind last second. When he didn’t come out and sign the LOI for UW. I felt pretty safe about getting jones.
Doesn’t matter really, time to move forward with what is next. Likely the UTEP transfer and 2011 class
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blasphemy / May 21, 2010
I think everybody in the recruiting world is glad the T Jones saga is over. Even if he didn’t pick UK, I would have been glad it was over, sheesh what a long recruitment!
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
Wow. Well put
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
Hell yeah. lol.
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
Anyone who with ties to both situations knows the truth. I know the truth. Teague wasn’t a done deal, and neither was Jones.
Arnett Moultrie is looking really hard at Texas. They’re his leader as of now.
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blasphemy / May 21, 2010
You were right, it is sour grapes from you.
“There are a lot of coaches that once Jones chose the Huskies they were done talking with Jones. But not Calipari.”
It is a KNOWN fact Jones called Cal and what was discussed on the phone is unknown (not saying he did, not saying he did, but you can’t accuse him if you don’t have any evidence). On top of that, it was down to UK and UW anyways, and he made the decision, under pressure, to commit to UW on the fly. That is no way to make a decision anyways. Fault the parents for not making sure their son was prepared, not the kid and not Cal. Also, saying he was starved for attention when he was truly torn between the schools…… that’s low, and childish of you, grow up.
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blasphemy / May 21, 2010
Don’t tell UofA BJ that, he thought HE was an insider. Said UK was out of the picture…. lol
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blasphemy / May 21, 2010
On a “Best talent level” I would agree that UK 2009 r. class > UK 2010 r. class. However, 2010 is a COMPLETE class in almost every sense of the word. On that argument, some UK fans on some message boards are talking about it being better. But I think the 2009 is little above the 2010 class, just from the total level of talent. (little meaning, not by much, but the difference is noticeable) However, as always, I only care if it’s good enough to help bring home a championship, though I doubt it.
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blasphemy / May 21, 2010
Knight has a more polished all round game than Wall, though nothing close in terms of athleticism. Knights ability to hit 3’s though……. I believe Wall is better though. Pasta, your retarded. I think Knight can get to J Wall’s end of college level of basketball, just not before he gets done with college though. Just my thoughts.
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
While you are right Blas, you have to admit that his response was the best by a UW fan or any other school fan that was pissed about where TJones decided to go.
That’s what I meant
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
LOL. That was just wrong.
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
A lot of talk is that UK were paper champs last year. I somewhat agree with statement because they had the most talent, but counting on a young team to do as much is a lot to ask for.
The 09 class is heads and shoulders above the 2010 class, IMO. Not saying 2010 isn’t good because it is, but it lacks the star power and elite athleticism of 09’s class. You’re right, the 2010 class replenishes UK a lot due to the class pretty much being a starting rotation, LOL.
If most of the class stays(which I HIGHLY doubt), then UK would be the consensus 2011 preseason champs.
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tsmooth / May 21, 2010
Knight has a good looking shot, and so does Wall. Wall leads a team better than Knight. Knight has nowhere near the basketball IQ of Wall, and is more of a combo guard, IMO.
Wall is certainly ahead of Knight, and can have a Rose-impact in the NBA.
Pretty much spot on, though.
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ChicagoUK / May 21, 2010
I think Evan Daniels is pretty neutral and has solid information. I know he made UK fans nervous about Teague and Jones and that ended up being wrong but I highly doubt he was simply being negative towards UK. Those were his honest opinions.
I mean, Jones want to visit UW the day before announcing.. who in their right mind thought UK was the favorite after that? And 60-40 on Teague.. sounds like it was 50-50 until the night before if you hear Teague himself talk about it..
The interesting question is who Cal wants for the last spot like he tweeted today.. Moultrie? Only he makes sense this late..
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UofA BJ / May 21, 2010
I said kentucky had a chance if the briefcase of money showed up with cal and WWW andd it looks like it did.
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UofA BJ / May 21, 2010
wonder how tj will feel when cal bolts for the NBA.
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UofA BJ / May 21, 2010
you are wrong pasta kentucky will not be beteer this year.
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blasphemy / May 21, 2010
OHHHHH SNAP! Wow, what you said hurts…… not as bad as looking at your face, but it still hurts.
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BostonCat / May 22, 2010
there is only 1 situation. but you need to be in the room to know it.
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tsmooth / May 22, 2010
Sorry, but you lost me.
I’m just letting you know that Teague and Jones WERE NOT done deals.
Anyone telling you otherwise has no idea what was happening.
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