UK head coach Calipari says center Nerlens Noel is ready to play, but UK officials have not commented.

UK head coach John Calipari appeared on SportsCenter to say Nerlens Noel is set to play for the season:

“He’s been cleared to practice, cleared to play games,” Calipari told ESPN. “Everything is good to go.”

A freshman center at UK, Noel was one of the top high school basketball players in 2012, named No. 1 by ESPN in 2012. Noel would  help restock the UK team that recently sent a record six players to the 2012 NBA Draft.

There was some question about the recruiting surrounding Noel:

The NCAA’s questions focused on the cast of characters that surrounded Noel’s recruitment and how Noel paid for his unofficial visits, according to a person with knowledge of the NCAA inquiry.

Despite Calipari’s claims that Noel is good to go, it’s not certain yet. UK officials have not announced Noel’s status, saying they will not comment on players’ eligibility until the start of the season.

Kentucky’s John Calipari is comfortable Nerlens Noel will play in ’12-13.(AFP/Getty Images)

The USA TODAY reports Kentucky coach John Calipari feels “comfortable” that freshman center Nerlens Noel will be able to play for the Wildcats this season.

Noel’s academic and amateur standing have been the subjects of speculation this summer. After the NCAA cleared Noel’s reclassified standing, SI.com’s Pete Thamel reported that the NCAA was expanding its inquiry into his amateur status.

While Noel, a 6-11 center from Everett, Mass and USA TODAY’s high school player of the year, has remained silent since enrolling in August, Calipari spoke on his top recruit’s near future.

“We feel comfortable. “It’s a review that those kinds of players go through. When you reclassify, you’re going to have reviews. When you reclassify and some people are mad you reclassified, there are going to be some reviews. That’s how it is. We’re comfortable that he’s done everything he was supposed to do.”

Kentucky is hoping Noel, who picked the Wildcats over Georgetown and Syracuse, can provide a  dominating inside defensive presence similar to Anthony Davis, who became the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

The wait is over — top high school basketball recruit Nerlens Noel has made his decision, and he’s headed to Kentucky next season.

Nerlens Noel announced he'll attend Kentucky. Wow. He's following in Anthony Davis's shoes. Huge get for Coach Cal.

—
Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) April 12, 2012

Noel had narrowed down his choices to UK, Georgetown and Syracuse, and he announced his decision in an unusual way — by shaving the logo of his chosen school into the back of his head. Here’s a photo of Noel’s Kentucky logo, which he revealed to a national television audience on ESPNU tonight.

Noel is originally from Everett, Mass., and he attended the Tilton School in New Hampshire. This was his junior year, but the 6-foot-11 center opted to graduate early and enter college this fall. He instantly vaulted to the top of the 2012 class.

An agile center with a propensity for blocking shots, Noel will make for the perfect replacement for Anthony Davis, who leaves Kentucky this spring to enter the NBA draft.