Derby Week Bombshells: UK's Boldest Recruiting Moves

0:00On April 2-8, with the Kentucky Derby coming up, let's rewind to some wild basketball recruiting moments tied to that week for the Wildcats. Back in Derby Day 2017, top prospect Kevin Knox dropped a bombshell by committing to Kentucky just an hour after always dreaming, across the finish line. He shocked everyone by picking UK over heavy hitters like Duke, North Carolina and Florida State. That Knox move set the bar for Derby's surprises, but it wasn't the first. Fast forward or rewind to 2009, when Eric Bledso lit up the Derby Festival Classic in Louisville right before joining John Caliparis. debut recruiting class. Bledso teamed up with stars like the Marcus Cousins helping build that top-rank group that changed Kentucky hoops. Reactions back then were pure chaos, especially with an even crazier story from 2008. Billy Galisby snagged a verbal commitment from eighth-grader Michael Avery, a six-foot-six-kid who hadn't even picked a high school yet. Avery's dad was stunned by the offer, and even UK President Lee Todd couldn't believe they were recruiting middle schoolers.

1:06Avery never played for Kentucky though. Galisby got fired ten months later and Calipari rolled in with a national title before the kid hit campus. These tales show how Derby Week has sparked some of the Wildcats' boldest grabs. Now as we eye this year's Derby and whispers about Tyran Stokes, big blue nation stays locked in for that next twist to drop any moment.