Bradley: UK Visit Convinced Me

It was only a few weeks ago that 6-foot-3 combo guard Ramel Bradley of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., stated he was leaning heavily to the Kentucky program despite having never taken a visit there. But after his visit, Bradley became even more convinced playing for head coach Tubby Smith was the best situation for his game.

"I really thought about visiting Boston College this weekend," Bradley said. "But I thought if I feel this great about Kentucky and after speaking to my parents, playing for coach Smith was the best thing for me. So I didn't visit Boston College this weekend."

As reported by Jeff Drummond of the Kentucky Rivals site late last week, Bradley will announce officially his choice of Kentucky at a 12 noon press conference tomorrow. "I felt I really fit in at Kentucky," Bradley said. "After taking the visit there I felt good about it. I then needed some time to talk to my parents and think about whether I was going to visit any more schools. After a few days I didn't feel like I needed any more visits."

Bradley, a native New Yorker who has a rock-hard mentality on the court, is a winner. He dives on the floor for loose balls, plays tough defense, and can take the ball to the basket. "I want to work on my jumper this season," Bradley said. "I want to be more consistent. I also want to add some weight to be stronger and ready for the next level."

Ramel said if he works hard enough as a freshman, he could be an impact player right away. "It's up to me to earn the minutes," Bradley said. "I just want to help the team win. The coaches (at Kentucky) told me I have to prove to them to get the minutes. I don't know if I will start. But I was told I would have a chance to get some big minutes."

Bradley is rated the 86th best player in the country in the Rivals150 for the class of 2004.