It didn't take long for Aumiller to accept, either. Naturally, that's what Smith, the former head coach at Boyle, expected. Aumiller's brother, Jake, had played on state championship teams that Smith coached at Boyle, and Smith felt his Boyle roots would help land Aumiller.
"I will be real disappointed if any Boyle kid does not jump on the boat right away. I really didn't know what to expect when we offered Jordan because some kids like to wait," Smith said. "But with what Jacob Tamme did at Kentucky and the way he represented Boyle County, all those Boyle kids look up to him. Most of them dream of following his footsteps."
Aumiller's versatility
Smith still believes Kentucky got a solid player in Aumiller, who will grayshirt and not officially join the team until January 2010. He'll have 5-1/2 years to complete four years of eligibility.
"I really like his potential. He's long and lanky with that tall frame. He'll easily be able to put on weight and muscle," Smith said. "He could potentially contribute on either side of the ball.
"He has great ball skills. He runs pretty good. He could help on offense because of that, but he also has good instincts on defense. The versatility he brings is really intriguing to us, and I don't think he cares where he plays."
Smith said the Kentucky staff was fine with Aumiller delaying shoulder surgery until after basketball season ends and not enrolling as a full-time student at Kentucky until January. He'll take some classes in the fall, but won't be allowed to practice or work out with the team.
"I think grayshirting will turn out to be a great thing for him. You really get more bang for your buck that way," Smith said. "He'll get an extra spring practice. Grayshirting is really good for guys who are young or who have an injury like Jordan.
"He's also a guy who has more developing to do in the weight room, so this will be a big help to him. He can use that extra time from grayshirting to work on his strength and he'll have plenty of time to be a big-time contributor for us."
