What will happen with Kentucky recruits?

With the firing of head coach Billy Gillispie there has been a lot of speculation regarding the future of the prized recruits that Gillispie has signed to play at the University of Kentucky. Here is what we know so far.

Jon Hood

Jon's father Brian Hood said that Jon was "heartbroken" that Gillispie was no longer the coach of the Wildcats. "The plan is like everybody's plan would be - to see who it is, sit down and talk to whoever it is - and then decide. When all this started coming down, at first it was disbelief and then there is not a better word for it than heartbroken. He was literally heartbroken. You have to remember, he has gone all in with Billy (Gillispie).

G.J. Vilarino

G.J. was Gillispie's first signed recruit out of McKinney Texas. G.J.'s father told the Courier Journal, "It's a tough day for us because we have known those guys (the staff) for years and they're like family," Gerry Vilarino said. "We're hurting today and we feel for them. It's a difficult day on that side of it.

"But from a basketball perspective - solely - G.J. has had his mind set for a long time. Based on our conversations, it's going to be pretty hard for him to turn it off now and say he's not going to Kentucky. He has everything ready to go."


Dominique Ferguson

Indianapolis Lawrence North junior forward Dominique Ferguson wasn't shocked that Billy Gillispie is no longer the coach at UK, but the father noted his family was in strong with the former staff at UK.

"We have a really good relationship with those guys," said the elder Ferguson, noting assistant coach Tracy Webster was a big key in the recruitment of his son. "He has a lot on his mind right now. He's just trying to figure things out.

"Right now, he's thinking about the possibility of decommitting. I would say there's a strong possibility that he re-opens the process."

The 6-foot-9 Ferguson is considered one of the top 10 players in the Class of 2010. He's ranked higher - among his class - than any of the nine players that are either signed or committed to UK through the Class of 2012.


Daniel Orton

The 6-foot-10 Orton is the highest-ranked recruit in the Class of 2009 and is going to wait to see who the school hires before making a final decision.

"We just have to sit back and wait and see," Larry Orton said. The elder Orton said the family would just "have to figure out what's going on" and who the coach might be before making a final decision.