Top 10 Sports Stories of 2007: No. 7

Vilarino Verbally Commits To Kentucky Basketball Program

Only a sophomore in high school, G.J. Vilarino had to make a decision on what to do with his life and education three years down the road.

The McKinney High basketball player decided to go with a coach that knows guards and the university with a tradition that few others can boast.

Vilarino verbally committed to Kentucky and new coach Billy Gillispie, becoming MISD’s first Division I recruit since ex-Lion Chris Moore went to Tulane in 2003.

“At first it was kind of overwhelming because, just the tradition of [Kentucky] and that kind of stuff was overwhelming,” Vilarino said. “But as time has gone on, it’s not that bad anymore.”

Vilarino averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game as a sophomore, leading the Lions to the playoffs after finishing in third place in District 9-4A. He received attention from Florida, Texas A&M, Baylor and Kansas, but instead chose the Wildcats — a program that has seven NCAA titles to its credit.

MHS coach Wes Watson said Vilarino was happy to get the selection process over with quickly.

“He’s not one that’s longing for the drama like some people are, so I think he kind of wanted to get that out of the way to where he could concentrate on playing basketball,” Watson said.

A big reason for Vilarino choosing Kentucky was Gillispie, the coach who turned Texas A&M into a national power before moving on to the Wildcats. Gillispie has plenty of experience working with talented guards. As an assistant at Illinois he coached future NBA players Deron Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown. At Texas A&M, Gillispie had Acie Law IV, who was selected No. 11 in last year’s NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

Vilarino said he has not had much contact with Kentucky since making his commitment. The Wildcats are busy trying to right their ship after a disappointing 5-5 start, but Vilarino said the team’s early struggles does not put any doubts in his mind about joining Kentucky.

“I talked to them a couple months ago,” he said. “They just check up on me and see how I’m doing. I’m just focused on high school right now. I don’t really talk to them, but my dad has.”

Vilarino has led the Lions to a 10-5 record this season, including a 2-0 start to district play. Watson said Vilarino is a better player now than he was last season, and Gillispie will be getting an athlete that should only continue to improve as he gets older.

“I think [Gillispie] sees what a lot of people see in G.J. You’ve got a kid with an awful lot of talent and a tremendous amount of upside,” Watson said. “He’s a heck of a player now, but there’s a lot more that people are going to see in the coming years because I just think he’s got a lot of potential.”

Staff writer Kevin Washburn covers boys basketball for McKinneyNews.net.