John Calipari continues to draw elite talent from South Florida.
A month after getting a commitment from 6-3 point guard Brandon Knight, Calipari scored a verbal Saturday from 6-11 power forward Eloy Vargas of Miami Dade College during a Saturday visit.
“I am looking forward to playing for Coach Cal, and have him develop my game and help me get to the next level,” Vargas told the Orlando Sun Sentinel.
Vargas initially committed to Florida out of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage, where he played alongside current Florida guard Kenny Boynton.
He played one season at Florida and then ended up at Miami Dade after suffering ankle problems.
This time around, Arizona, North Carolina and Seattle were also in the mix for Vargas.
He will have two years of eligibility left at Kentucky.
Vargas joins Knight, guard Doron Lamb, wing STacey Poole and forward Enes Kanter in Calipari’s 2010 recruiting haul.
“I think [Vargas’ commitment] secures the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for the second straight year,” Rivals national writer Jerry Meyer told CatsPause.com.
BARRY VISITING UCLA
Remi Barry, a 6-7 wing from Del Oro (Calif.) High who is projected as a potential NBA player, will visit UCLA beginning Sunday, according to his AAU coach, Doc Haynes.
“Leaving at 10 a.m.,” Haynes texted.Barry, who is originally from France, also ranks St. John’s and Arizona State among his favorites. “I don’t have any favorite at all,” he said last week. “I have top three. UCLA, St. John’s and Arizona State.” Haynes said Kentucky, Texas, Baylor and North Carolina also became recently involved after Barry recently had some coursework approved. But no visits have been set to those schools. MITCHELL WALKING ON AT RUTGERS
Frank Mitchell, a 6-5 forward from Hillsborough (N.J.) High, will walk on at Rutgers, according to Matt Pauls of the NJABC program. Alex Kline first reported the news. Mitchell averaged 16.2 points and 8.0 boards per game at Hillsborough, according to Gannett New Jersey. “He has a high IQ for the game, and his overall passion and determination is what separated him,” Hillsborough coach Ian Progin told Gannett New Jersey. “The best way to put it, he really raised the bar. When your best player is your hardest worker, a lot of things fall into place.” Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
