UK leading for 5-star U of L target Fultz?

ATLANTA – A month ago, Markelle Fultz already had an impressive list of scholarship offers to play college basketball, including Arizona, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Kansas and Ohio State. But one of the top shooting guards in the Class of 2016 wanted more.

He said he'd wait to see if bluebloods Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina came calling. In the last week, both the Wildcats and Tar Heels did. So what's that mean for the 6-foot-4, five-star shooting guard from the powerhouse DeMatha Catholic program in Maryland?

"He can go to Kentucky now," said Jerry Meyer, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports. "I think that's what he's been waiting for is that Kentucky offer. That's my feeling on it. It's not like he's told me that, but after 11 years of doing this and reading between the lines …"

Fultz wouldn't go that far Thursday night after his AAU game here in the Under Armour Finals, but he's obviously excited about the Cats' increasing interest.

"That was a real big offer for me," he said. "That was just an appreciation. I like Kentucky. I think I can play there and help them win a national championship, so it was just a blessing to get that offer. (UK is) just saying that I could be a great fit at the school and I could be one of the main players.

"I feel like I'm pretty much a big priority. Coach Cal talks to me a lot."

That's potentially bad news for the Cardinals' Rick Pitino and head coaches from LSU, Maryland, Memphis, N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Washington who offered Fultz much earlier and were in the stands to see him play Thursday. UK assistant John Robic was also there and Cats head coach John Calipari watched Fultz the night before.

Kentucky "probably just needed to see him," Meyer said. "It's like everything in life: doesn't just happen at once. Enough schools offer and enough scouts talk about him and then Kentucky gets an opportunity to watch him. Evidently they liked what they saw."

Everyone does these days. Already ranked as high as 13th overall in the class (by 247Sports) and no lower than 23rd (Rivals), Fultz is rising fast after a strong summer. His is a remarkable story, having been on DeMatha's junior varsity team less than two years ago and now a five-star recruit.

"His progression and improvement is happening so rapidly, it's like every time you see him, he's better," Meyer said. "I think physically he's still developing. He's got long arms, huge hands, size-15 feet. So I would expect him to get around 6-6. It's a cool story, intriguing story, because it's happened so quickly. But he's a late bloomer who works hard.

"You don't see it that much, though. The JV story we always hear is Michael Jordan, right?"

Always an adept mid-range scorer, Fultz has improved his ball handling and passing – he drove and spun and dished to wide-open teammates repeatedly Thursday – and is increasingly explosive. He can finish through contact and play above the rim. He's a solid defender.

"All the work I'm putting in is starting to show and every day I'm adding something new to my arsenal," Fultz said. The UK and UNC offers "show me that if I keep working hard, I can go wherever I want, as long as I believe in God."

One of his options is Louisville, who had both Pitino and assistant Ralph Willard in the stands Thursday night. The Cardinals have been in hot pursuit for months, but is there still hope for U of L?

"Yes," Fultz said. "I think that's another great fit for me, being a guard there. I could help them score and help them win a national championship as well. I'm just looking forward to going where it best fits me, and they're talking to me a lot about recruitment, so that's good."

Soon after this weekend's event, he plans to cut his list of schools to 10, with a goal of picking a program by August or September. His only scheduled official visit right now is to Arizona in August, but Kentucky and Louisville will no doubt push to get him on campus, too, before the decision.

Just how fast is Fultz's stock rising? Meyer said he might be a top-five player in the class – and went so far as to compare him favorably to Malik Monk, one of the most electric rising seniors in America and a top Kentucky target.

"Let's name the guards who are better. Is Malik Monk better than him? I'm not so sure he is," Meyer said. "What does Malik do, other than highlight dunks, that he doesn't? He's a better passer. I like his ball handling better. Probably equal defenders. Shooting would probably be a wash. So Malik's better for mixtape (but) I think Fultz is going to be that good."

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Follow him on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ.