Fox makes it official, picks Kentucky
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John Calipari just landed his next great point guard.
Thursday on ESPNU, De'Aaron Fox announced he'd be attending the University of Kentucky by showing a UK logo on his cell phone.
Fox's Houston Hoops AAU coach Tim Schumacher spoke with Cats Illustrated about Fox's decision.
"It's a perfect fit," Schumacher said. "The way he plays, his athleticism, his intensity on both ends of the floor. Coach Cal is going to demand he plays on both ends and he's really good defending. Obviously offensively he's great. It's a perfect fit and he'll thrive in that system."
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Katy, Texas native picked Kentucky over LSU, Louisville and Kansas.
He officially visited UK for Big Blue Madness and becomes the first No. 1 point guard to commit to Kentucky since Andrew Harrison in 2013.
Fox is known for his scoring, and rightfully so as he averaged 17.5 points per game in the Nike EYBL last season, including 32 threes in 23 games.
But Schumacher says UK fans should also get used to watching a lockdown defender.
"A lot of it is his commitment to defense," Schumacher said. "He takes it as a challenge every possession. It's important to him to help his team win and he knows how important defense is. De'Aaron is all about winning basketball games. He's going to do whatever it takes on either end of the floor to help his team win games."
Also, Fox is a complete player. While he's at his best when he's penetrating and finishing at the rim, he's also an unselfish player.
That will be key to playing at Kentucky where Fox will be surrounded by other five-star players.
Luckily for UK, Fox is also a solid passer.
"He led the EYBL in assists per game last summer," Schumacher said. "He's extremely unselfish. He can take over games offensively but he's all about making winning plays and that means getting teammates involved and making them successful because it'll help the team."
But Kentucky's latest commit, joining Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones, isn't perfect.
At just 170-pounds he'll need to get slightly bigger at the next level and he could also be more consistent with his shot, his former coach says.
"De'Aaron is a special athlete and I think he can add some strength physically," Schumacher said. "He's really tough in the paint but I think his body, as he plays at a higher level, could use some maturing. But that will happen naturally.
"And the consistency on his perimeter game. He can be a streaky shooter so he could be more consistent, but I'm nitpicking to find faults. He's incredibly special."
Calipari has made Fox a priority since offering him in July, and now with his recruitment over, UK landed a great player and person.
"He's an outstanding person," Schumacher said. "He's going to make Kentucky extremely happy and make everyone a believer on and off the court. He'll make a difference.
