[BlackcatAlum]

Matt Jones of KSR:

"I will have more on this on site tonight, but I am hearing that UK will pursue Elisha Justice as walk-on and may offer him 1 year scholly"

Take that with a grain of salt.

[BlackcatAlum]

ELISHA JUSTICE
Ok so that was a lot of negative news. How about some positive news. From a source that I trust, I am told that UK will recruit Shelby Valley’s Elisha Justice as a walk-on and are even strongly considering offering him a scholarship for next season due to the strong likelihood that all 13 roster spots will be filled. The source tells me that the staff was impressed with his performance this Spring and like the idea of having a kid who can play hard in practice and can be a PG for practice, something they didnt really have on the second team this year. Dustin tried to contact Elisha tonight and was unsuccessful, so we have gotten no word from the kid whether UK has actually contacted him or what his interest might be. But I do believe UK either already has or will soon reach out to him to try to make the Eastern Kentuckian a Cat.


- Per Matt Jones of KSR


LINK

[The Iceboxx]

Ive heard the same thing. I know a lot of people get all hyped up over star ratiings ( me included), but this would make my day, **** make my year. UK had more talent than anyone in the state last season. They had one kid from this state, and and only two or three that it meant something to wear the jersey. Im not saying we should start recruiting like Tubby, or BCG, but a couple of shooters, that love to see the name on the front, instrad of the back would be great.

Rick Pitinos years at UK will be remembered forever by cats fans, and he had tons of NBA picks. He also had some hard working players that loved UK. ( Delk, Padgent, R. Farmer, Cam. Mills, Jeff Shepard.)

[cuppett777]

Hood was better than EJ coming out of high school......no way Hood shot 50 times a game, and i am from madisonville, sure going to score alot if you shot that much, sure Hood is taller and can jump out the roof but thats it..

[The Iceboxx]

Jon Hood had a better AAU team, and got more pub in the recruiting circuit. Those are the only things he did better than Elisha Justice.

EJ was a better high school player than Hood
EJ will be a better college bacll player than Hood.
----

Im just hoping the ladder thing happens at UK

[BlackcatAlum]

Lets say Jon Hood was 5'11... you think he would have been recruited D1?

[outdoorsman43]

Lets say Jon Hood was 5'11... you think he would have been recruited D1?

Not a chance.

[Scotty doesn't know]

We will hopefully be hearing more on this tomorrow and the coming days. I would love to see EJ on the Big Blue!

[Cantwaitfor8]

I may gladly have to eat some crow here. I hope it works out and he's in the blue and white next season. BTW there were 3 guys on the team from KY last year. Miller, Hood, Krebs.

[BlueSky]

There is no doubt EJ can play D1, it is just where he chooses to go. He has all the tools plus a heart of winning. There is no substitue for being able to shoot the three, set others up to score, handle the ball, and a desire to win that is second to none...

[CoachM]

In my opinion I would tell UK to go fly a kite, they were not interested in him before he recieved mr. basketball and I believe that is the only reason that they are showing intrest now. Why be a token that KY can use to say hey we do recruit players from our state even though we don't believe they will ever play, but god forbid losing "MR. BASKETBALL TO UofL

[Cantwaitfor8]

Disagree man, UK is having a HUGE roster turnover, that as much as anything could be leading to the increased intrest. I hope he chooses to attend UK no matter the offer they extend, 1yr scholly, 4yr scholly or walk on. I'm sure there is pressure from a lot of the boosters to have Justice a KY boy and favorite son for most of EKY on the team.

[BlueSky]

He is not a token anywhere he goes.... I do not believe most understand just how good he really is and can be for whomever he chooses..

[BlackcatAlum]

Latest update as of 1 pm today on EJ:

"I spoke this morning to Elisha Justice’s high school coach, who told me that as of now, Justice had not heard from UK. He did however think there was a possibility that it would occur and that if he did, “when Kentucky calls and you grow up in Eastern Kentucky, you have to listen.” He did say however that Justice really liked Louisville and that Justice hoped the Cardinals would offer him a scholarship.
I have been told by others that UK would likely reach out to Justice by the end of the week, so I guess we will know more by the weekend."

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=48632

[BoondockSaint]

In my opinion I would tell UK to go fly a kite, they were not interested in him before he recieved mr. basketball and I believe that is the only reason that they are showing intrest now. Why be a token that KY can use to say hey we do recruit players from our state even though we don't believe they will ever play, but god forbid losing "MR. BASKETBALL TO UofL

What has UofL done that would make Elisha feel like he shouldn't listen to what UK has to offer?

They said he can be a preferred walk-on. Well, I'm just tickled to death that RickyP feels like Elisha deserves a good-ole-boy's seat on the bench where he can sit in awe of Coach Pitino's brilliance...(please not sarcasm). Elisha shouldn't have to walk-on anywhere, although I understand why he decided to at UofL. He wants to take in all he can from what some people consider a basketball mentor.

But from what I know about Elisha, I don't think he'll like having to filter the B-Ball knowledge from the profanity that I am certain Rick Pitino uses daily. I heard once that he even made Bobby Knight blush.

UK may have more scholarships available now than they did even 1 month ago. Specualtion of Orton turning pro is practically brand new, no one really thought seriously about Bledsoe going pro unti the SEC tourney, and now Dodson is more than likely leaving, too.

So don't act like UK is jumping on the bandwagon here if they offer Elisha a scholarship. Its just that there is likely one available for him that wasn't there before. A lot of you guys want to act like UK snubbed him throughout the year, and that simply isn't true. In my opinion, its as simple as life being full of surprises. I look at this as Elisha being in the right place at the right time, not UK trying to jump on a Mr. Basketball bandwagon.

Think about it, they could have 8-9 scholarships available if you count those expected to go pro (Wall, Patterson, Cousins, Bledsoe & Orton), those graduating (Harrellson, Stevenson & Krebs), and a possible transfer (Dodson).

Surely KY's Mr. Basketball is good enough to receive one of them.

[BlackcatAlum]

And this is why a lot of recruits wait until the season is over to make final decisions on where they want to go, because they want to see what happens at the college they're interested in.

[PC_You_Know]

What has UofL done that would make Elisha feel like he shouldn't listen to what UK has to offer?

They said he can be a preferred walk-on. Well, I'm just tickled to death that RickyP feels like Elisha deserves a good-ole-boy's seat on the bench where he can sit in awe of Coach Pitino's brilliance...(please not sarcasm). Elisha shouldn't have to walk-on anywhere, although I understand why he decided to at UofL. He wants to take in all he can from what some people consider a basketball mentor.

But from what I know about Elisha, I don't think he'll like having to filter the B-Ball knowledge from the profanity that I am certain Rick Pitino uses daily. I heard once that he even made Bobby Knight blush.

UK may have more scholarships available now than they did even 1 month ago. Specualtion of Orton turning pro is practically brand new, no one really thought seriously about Bledsoe going pro unti the SEC tourney, and now Dodson is more than likely leaving, too.

So don't act like UK is jumping on the bandwagon here if they offer Elisha a scholarship. Its just that there is likely one available for him that wasn't there before. A lot of you guys want to act like UK snubbed him throughout the year, and that simply isn't true. In my opinion, its as simple as life being full of surprises. I look at this as Elisha being in the right place at the right time, not UK trying to jump on a Mr. Basketball bandwagon.

Think about it, they could have 8-9 scholarships available if you count those expected to go pro (Wall, Patterson, Cousins, Bledsoe & Orton), those graduating (Harrellson, Stevenson & Krebs), and a possible transfer (Dodson).

Surely KY's Mr. Basketball is good enough to receive one of them.

Great comments. A team can't jump on a player like Elisha and get his hopes up and then crush them, you know what that would do for Calipari public relations wise if he crushed the heart of KY's Mr. Basketball after telling him all year they would let him come that they no longer had a spot for him.

A coach has to wait and see how the dominoes are going to fall. It just so happens this year KY's dominoes are going to the NBA and Cal needs players. Well, Elisha is a player, and Cal noticed.

I remember hearing at the beginning of the year Elisha's dad told Calipari at the press conference in Pikeville to come back here and recruit his boy, Calipari asked for his name, and now look, we're talking about him going to UK.

Some UK fans should really stop acting like they run the team, talking about who they want and don't. As of now you have 4 for sure players for next year(Hood, Harrelson, Liggins, Miller), be happy with whoever you get, whether it be Elisha, Josh Selby, or both together.

[BlackcatAlum]

A lot of the UK fans on other sites that haven't seen Elisha play are just judging him on the color of his skin. Saying he's no better than Michael Porter, or that he is slow and too small.

I remember when everyone said the same things about Chris Lofton and Shelvin Mack.

[PC_You_Know]

A lot of the UK fans on other sites that haven't seen Elisha play are just judging him on the color of his skin. Saying he's no better than Michael Porter, or that he is slow and too small.

I remember when everyone said the same things about Chris Lofton and Shelvin Mack.

People on KSR are ripping Elisha apart like a pack of lions on a gazelle.

Precisely, look where Mack is right now, and look at what Lofton accomplished.

[BlackcatAlum]

People on KSR are ripping Elisha apart like a pack of lions on a gazelle.

Precisely, look where Mack is right now, and look at what Lofton accomplished.

Yeah, I was on there defending him.

[The Iceboxx]

Elisha Justice is on the front page of the catpause, he is being talked negativlly in forums on this site as well.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/

[Peacedomes85]

A lot of the UK fans on other sites that haven't seen Elisha play are just judging him on the color of his skin. Saying he's no better than Michael Porter, or that he is slow and too small.

I remember when everyone said the same things about Chris Lofton and Shelvin Mack.

Chris Lofton=The UK Killer, UK will not let another great basketball player from the commonwealth of kentucky like Lofton, Mack, Knowles, and maybe Justice from becoming a problem for UK when they play the respective teams those players.

I was surprised they didnt throw everything they had at Hopson before he committed to Tennessee or they didn't recruit Knowles more heavily.

Thats one of the reasons (the main one is their really good) Miller goes to UK and Hood goes to UK and they want Justice because they view them as threats if they were on different teams and they saw that first hand with Lofton at Tennessee

[Aslan]

A lot of the UK fans on other sites that haven't seen Elisha play are just judging him on the color of his skin. Saying he's no better than Michael Porter, or that he is slow and too small.

I remember when everyone said the same things about Chris Lofton and Shelvin Mack.

Mack should be starting for UK right now.

[5timechamp]

Reading the comments on KSR and Catspause makes it embarrasing to be a Cat fan. IMO

[Scotty doesn't know]

^ This.... These kids are 18 years old.

[PC_You_Know]

After reading the comments section on KSR during the day, I don't think I've seen the word "bum" used that often in one period of time...ever. I really can't believe someone would even think of calling a HS kid a bum, just wow.

[itzAmazing]

Elisha Justice reminds me of Chris Lofton in many ways, and we all know what he did once he got to D1.

[EOE]

Jody Demling says EJ got a call this evening fron Coach Cal!!!!!!!

[PC_You_Know]

Jody Demling says EJ got a call this evening fron Coach Cal!!!!!!!

oh snap!

Kentucky Mr. Basketball Elisha Justice of Shelby Valley High School had an interesting phone call on Thursday night - Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari.

Justice said the UK coach called to talk about the 5-foot-11 guard perhaps attending UK.

"He said he had been watching my game films and he liked how I played," Justice told The Courier-Journal. "I don't know right now, he told me to talk it over with my family. But he said I was the type of player he was looking for."

Justice has committed to walk-on at the University of Louisville and has been in talks with U of L coach Rick Pitino and his staff about perhaps landing a scholarship.

Calipari told Justice that he was "expecting to lose a lot of guys," and noted there would likely be a scholarship for the point guard.

Justice said Calipari told him to call him back soon.

And now, Justice is in a tough spot with the two in-state schools after him.

"I really like Louisville though," Justice said. "I feel like that is the better fit for me, right now."

I think the last two words of the article are the most important, "right now". That might be changing soon.

[H3AD HUNT3R]

good luck Elisha. where ever you decide to go.