From Rochester Hills, Mich., five-star guard James Young had an embarrassment of opportunity as he was recruited coming out of high school.
The University of Michigan played in the NCAA National Championship last year, and Michigan State won games under the direction of head coach Tom Izzo.
But James Young, the first five-star recruit (per Rivals) in the state of Michigan since the University of Tennessee’s Ramar Smith in 2006, drifted 369 miles south to UK, spurning the two state schools within 90 miles of his hometown.
The guard averaged 27.2 points and 16 rebounds with Rochester (Mich.) High School, a Class A Michigan school.
Young said UK stood out because of head coach John Calipari’s offensive style.