Despite reports that Xavier and C.J. Henry will not visit Kentucky, the latest news is that the brothers will trip there this coming weekend.
“Now they’re going to visit Kentucky at the end of this week,” Carl Henry said early Monday afternoon. “My youngest son [Xavier] called me and said he wanted to go visit. It just happened thirty minutes ago.”
Carl had initially told reporters the boys would not visit and would announce Wednesday among Kansas, Kentucky and Memphis. Now that decision — and potentially Lance Stephenson’s as well — will be put off. Stephenson could end up at Kansas if the Henrys go to Kentucky or remain at Memphis; and he could go to St. John’s or Maryland if they pick Kansas.
“Both of them get out of school Friday,” Carl said. “They’re both going to go visit [Kentucky].”
Both Kentucky coach John Calipari and Kansas coach Bill Self flew to New York Saturday night to make their recruiting pitch to Xavier.
“I wasn’t there,” Carl said. “I was out of town myself. They just said it was the same recruiting stuff.”
Asked when the boys might decide, Carl said: “I couldn’t tell you, man. I”m so ready for it to be over with.”
Xavier Henry, the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2009, told me last week he could still end up at Memphis even though he and his brother have secured their releases.
“It depends on if my brother can get out of his thing and go transfer and play his first year,” Xavier said. “If he can’t then I might still play with him at Memphis. I don’t know yet.”
C.J., a walk-on at Memphis, would need to transfer to either Kansas or Kentucky and then appeal the NCAA for a waiver to allow him to play immediately. Yet there’s no guarantee that will happen. Such waivers are only granted in extreme circumstances, such as when a family member is dying.
“It’ll take time,” Henry said. “I don’t know. It could be quick. It could take a long time. It’s just the NCAA, whatever they decide.”
