A Sign of Things to Come?

With the McDonald's All-American Game later this week, speculation is rife about where the nation's best unsigned high school players will be heading to college this fall. A lot of that chatter is focused on Kentucky for obvious reasons, but I don't think a whole lot is going to happen until we learn what will become of this year's team.

Well, today we may have gotten a big clue.

Doron Lamb and Brandon Knight, two of the All-Americans, spoke with reporters last night after the Skills Competition in Columbus and some of what they had to say was particularly interesting.

Lamb was quoted as saying that Coach Cal told him there will be 9, count 'em, NINE scholarships available next year. So here's the breakdown for those of you trying to crunch the numbers:

• SENIORS: Harris, Stevenson, Krebs
• NBA DRAFT: Patterson, Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, Orton

That's only eight, so obviously one player is on his way out via transfer, and the most likely player at this point is Darnell Dodson. Several rumors are circulating that Dodson is unhappy with his role on the team and is looking to get out, but the same could certainly be said for Jon Hood and Deandre Liggins at this point.

I really didn't expect to see Bledsoe and Orton bolt for the draft after just one year, and granted this is all speculation at this point, but it looks as though there could be an entirely new roster at next year's Big Blue Madness.

Another quote worth reading: Brandon Knight, the nation's number one player according to Rivals.com, slipped and said "we" when talking about the Wildcats and his recruiting process. Several outlets have reported that Knight has already given a verbal commitment to Coach Cal, but we'll just have to wait and see.

I think the next 10-14 days are going to be pivotal in the formation of next year's squad, so keep an eye out for updates.