Tuesday, February 06, 2001
Highlands QB picks UK over UC
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
FORT THOMAS — Highlands quarterback Gino Guidugli had his pick of nearly 25 schools, but Monday he chose to stay in his home state and attend the University of Kentucky.
Guidugli chose the Wildcats over the University of Cincinnati - a decision he didn't make until Friday morning.
“It was definitely a tough decision,” Guidugli said. “At one point, I could really actually flip a coin between UK and UC. But it came down to certain factors I weighed out.”
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Guidugli chose UK over North Carolina and Purdue as well. Several others — including Boston College, Harvard, Virginia, LSU, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Arizona and California — also recruited him hard.
In his senior season, Guidugli passed for 4,367 yards, 53 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Highlands defeated Owensboro to win the Class AAA state championship.
Guidugli's father, Dave, said he had hoped his son would attend North Carolina.
“It's his decision, and I back him up 100 percent,” the elder Guidugli said.
Guidugli has some competition at UK. Former Bluebird Jared Lorenzen, who will be a redshirt sophomore, and Henry Clay product Shane Boyd, who will be a true sophomore, are ahead of him — and the program faces NCAA sanctions in connection with recruiting violations involving former assistant coach Claude Bassett.
“It's not going to really affect me that much, but it's something you've got to think about,” Guidugli said of the investigation. “But that weighed in my decision a little bit. ... It's not going to affect bowl games or television time or anything like that.”
Guidugli will sign his letter of intent at 2p.m. Wednesday. Other Bluebirds joining him are soon- to-be Wildcats Brett Hamblen and Ben Scott and Purdue recruit Brent Grover.
Guidugli may redshirt this fall to have more time to learn the UK offense, which he said is similar to what he has been running at Highlands.
“I just think I need to get a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger,” Guidugli said. “I'm playing in the (Southeastern Conference). It isn't like playing Holmes and Dixie anymore. You're playing Florida and Tennessee. It's going to be a little bit different.”
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