Gillispie lands his first for UK

2009 prospect GJ Vilarino wanted to play for Coach Billy Gillispie and was considering Texas A&M along with a handful of other schools. But when Coach Gillispie took the Kentucky job, it looked like a perfect fit for the 6-foot, 160-pound point guard out of McKinney (Texas) High School.

"Kentucky is a big school, and I like Coach Gillispie a lot," said Vilarino. "It's a good fit for me and I love the tradition of Kentucky."

Although the combination of Coach Gillispie and Kentucky was the combination that sealed the deal, Vilarino did give Coach Gillispie the nod as the most important of the two.

"It was more the coach than the school," he said. "I would have liked Texas A&M if he would have stayed, but I wouldn't have committed there right now. Kentucky is Kentucky."

As Coach Gillispie's first Kentucky commitment, Vilarino is excited about helping bring a fast paced attack to Lexington and is also looking forward to improving his game under Gillispie's tutelage.

"His style is more of a running style, and I fit in well with that," he said. "I love getting up and down the court. Also, he will really help develop my defensive game."

Vilarino, who averaged 21 points, five assists and four rebounds, was considering Kentucky along with Texas A&M before the coaching change. He noted that Kansas, Baylor, Florida and Purdue were also on his list.

GJ Vilarino scouting report:

Very smooth with the basketball, Vilarino also has the basketball IQ to make the plays needed to run a team. He has a nice blend of scoring and passing to his game, but his shot does have room for improvement. Long for 6-foot, he has an intriguing upside to his game. As he gets stronger, he will improve as a half court defender.