When word of Kentucky coach John Calipari’s unprecedented NBA-combine-centric practice first leaked, it was met by its fair share of cynicism, much of which centered around the opinion that the event would be more about future Kentucky players than current ones.

In other words, this had more to do with recruiting than with NBA exposure, or so some believed.

What has evolved in the month since is that the combine has turned into more of an appetizer for what is always Kentucky’s main course when it comes to fall recruiting, next weekend’s Big Blue Madness.

While next week’s guest list reads like a who’s who of the best available prospects in the ESPN 100, the most notable prospect expected in Lexington this week is perhaps the least likely to be impacted by the combine.