Olathe native Cauley-Stein not heavily recruited by KU

By Gary Bedore Nov 18, 2014

KENTUCKY 72, KANSAS 40

Nick Krug

Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) lets out a roar before Kansas forward Perry Ellis (34) after a outback dunk during the first half of the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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Indianapolis ? Kentucky junior Willie Cauley-Stein was not recruited heavily by Kansas University.

“We were puzzled,” Cauley-Stein’s mother, Marlene, told the Lexington Herald-Leader. “But you take the good with the bad. You don’t dwell on it. He’s happy where he’s at.”

The UK big man scored seven points and pulled down 10 boards in the Wildcats’ 72-40 romp against Kansas.

On Olathe Northwest grad Cauley-Stein’s recruitment, Self said: “I saw Willie some, saw him in the summers. His high school team was in the same league as Free State. I saw those games. He’s gotten so much better. He’s made tremendous improvement. He’s so athletic and active.

“Recruiting is an inexact science. Would we have loved to have him? Absolutely, no question. Of course, if we got him, we wouldn’t have gotten Jo Jo (Embiid) either. That’s how recruiting plays. I think he’s a terrific prospect and probably a lottery pick.”