Though his commitment is not official — and won’t be until sometime after 4:30 PM today — Gonzaga fans are reacting to the news that Kyle Wiltjer has pledged his commitment to John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats. Though it obviously stings to lose a prized recruit, Zags fans are taking it in stride, moving on to the next big name in the class of 2011.
Over at The Slipper Still Fits, Zach Bell does a great job of summing it up.
Wiltjer, along with Gary Bell, was Gonzaga’s #1 target for the class and is someone Mark Few and co. invested a lot of time in. For the past few months, we have thought that the leaders from Kyle were Gonzaga, Cal, and Kansas. This all changed when Kentucky got seriously involved and they recently had come through with an offer that was too much for Wiltjer to resist.
Whether you agree or disagree with Kyle’s choice, we wish him nothing but the best with Kentucky. It’s a tremendous opportunity for him.
Gonzaga still holds verbal commitments from Gary Bell Jr. and Kyle Dranginis, while targeting high caliber players in Kevin Pangos and Antwan Space. Mark Few and the Gonzaga coaching staff will no doubt be working hard to fill the rest of the 2011 recruiting class with players that best fit Gonzaga’s needs.
Stay tuned to see if the reports are correct and Wiltjer does pick Kentucky tonight on ESPNU.
For more on Gonzaga basketball, visit SBNation’s The Slipper Still Fits.