Kentucky Recruits: Calipari's Pursuit of Nerlens Noel, Shabazz Muhammad, and Others

Before the confetti was cleared off the floor in New Orleans after the Kentucky Wildcats' National Championship win, head coach John Calipari was back in recruiting mode.

Right now I'm going to have two day sand then I've got to go out recruiting Friday, Calipari said in his post-game remarks after knocking off Kansas. So you tell me to look back. I'm just looking forward. Let's keep on marching.

He also said that he hopes his current roster has six players chosen in the first round of the NBA draft this summer, and even if that is an overstatement the current team will undoubtedly be gutted by departures to the NBA including consensus top pick Anthony Davis.

Calipari's victory showed that a team can accomplish what his have always been criticized for, win with a core group of one-and-done, players. But bringing in a slew of future NBA stars is a doubled edged sword, as Calipari has to replace his entire team this offseason.

He has already done a decent job reloading with Alex Poythress, a 6-8 small forward from Tennessee, Archie Goodwin, 6-4 shooting guard from Arkansas and Willie Cauley a 6-11 center from Kansas.

Poythress is ranked third at his position by Scouts.com, Goodwin is fifth and Cauley eleventh. But the real prizes could still be out there, Nerlens Noel, Shabazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett.

Noel and Muhammad are the top two prospects in the class and both going to announce their decision this evening in a special program on ESPN U at 7:30 PM ET tonight. Their decisions will certainly have a huge impact on the college basketball landscape next year.

Noel, a 6-10 Center from Everett, Massachusetts is an incredible defensive presence already and would immediately fill the void left by Davis at Kentucky. Many outlets are reporting that he will choose Kentucky this evening over Georgetown and Syracuse.

I took a lot, a lot of pictures [with Kentucky fans] this week, Noel told the Louisville Courier-Journal while in New Orleans for the All-American Championship game. They are just wild fans. They are really into their basketball and that's a great thing.

Things get a bit murkier in the cases of Muhammad and Bennett. Muhammad is the top wing player in this class. He is a 6-6 slasher who can score in bunches. He has been linked to UCLA for most of his recruitment as his family is from the area.

But watching a team full of freshmen win a national title could have a strong effect on Muhammad. Many expect Muhammad to only spend one season in college, which might boost the chances of him choosing Kentucky, since he could spend his one season in college cutting down nets for a repeat title winner.

Bennett, who is from Findlay Prep in Henderson, NV is a 6-7 power forward, who despite being a bit undersized is a tenacious rebounder with strength well beyond what most high school students have.

He is currently mulling over a list of schools that includes Florida, Oregon, UNLV and Washington as well as Kentucky.

If Bennett falls through, Calipari still has options like Amile Jefferson, a power forward from Pennsylvania.

Tonight will go a long way towards telling the world if Kentucky will be in a position to repeat this season. The eyes of the college basketball world will be on Noel and Muhammad to see if Calipari has done it again.

Even if Calipari fails to land the high-profile stars, the cupboard may still be well stocked for next season.