Calipari Commits Minor Infraction with Comments

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Ashton Hagans, the No. 1 point guard recruit in the Class of 2019, is this close to finishing his schoolwork to reclassify and join the Kentucky Wildcats this summer. But he isn't quite there yet and has not officially signed a letter of intent, which became problematic for John Calipari last week.

The Cats' coach committed a minor NCAA infraction by discussing Hagans at the Southeastern Conference's spring meetings.

Calipari was asked by a reporter about Hagans' recruitment and whether Kentucky would've landed the 5-star Georgia native had UGA coach Mark Fox not been fired last season. Hagans had been committed to the Bulldogs but backed out of that pledge two weeks before Fox was let go - then he picked the Cats.

"He wanted us all along and we had waited, and Mark did a good job and jumped on it. I told him, 'You're smart,' "Calipari told The Athletic's Seth Emerson and other reporters in Destin, Fla. "But then the kid opens up when he figures out that stuff is happening. And we get a terrific player."

Hagans and his father told SEC Country two weeks ago that he's finishing up an English class - the last of four online courses he needed to graduate high school early - and plans to enroll at Kentucky no later than August. It will probably be much sooner.

Still, it is against NCAA rules for college coaches to comment publicly on recruits who have not signed a national letter of intent or offer of admission, other than to acknowledge they're recruiting that player, and that means Calipari committed a secondary violation in talking about Hagans.

The good news for Kentucky: Per the rulebook, such a violation does not affect a prospective student-athlete's eligibility. So UK will likely self-report a secondary violation, receive in return a sternly-worded letter from college basketball's governing body, and Hagans will soon join the Wildcats for the 2018-19 season.

The postKentucky basketball: John Calipari commits minor NCAA violation with Ashton Hagans comments appeared first onSEC Country.

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