BB Recruiting

In-State 2024 Recruit Travis Perry Scores School-Record 61 Points With John Calipari in Attendance

Published

3 years ago

February 17, 2023

If you follow Kentucky high school basketball, you have likely heard of Lyon County’s Travis Perry and know that he is one of the best scorers in the state. Averaging 31 points per game, he is tied for second in the state, but the story doesn’t stop there.

Perry just scored his 4,000th point on Feb 11th, making him only the second player ever to do so in Kentucky. Now his eyes are set on the state scoring record, which is currently held by “King” Kelly Coleman with 4,337 points. With this year’s postseason and an entire season of basketball remaining in his high school career, Perry is on pace to shatter that record.

To put it simply, the kid can score and teams across the country have taken notice, including Kentucky. Last summer, Perry took an unofficial visit to Lexington, where he received an offer. Since then, things have been quiet from Kentucky, suggesting there may no longer be interest. However, that may have changed.

On Thursday, John Calipari and K.T. Turner made the trip to Dawson Springs to watch Perry in action. Calipari told Perry that he would be at the game and took it as an opportunity. Calipari told Perry that he would be at the game and took it as an opportunity.

“Having coach Cal in the gym, we had to find a way to have fun and put on a good show for him and the crowd,” Perry told Larry Vaught.

Put on a show he did, scoring a school-record 61 points in a 114-56 win for Lyon County, also adding 15 rebounds. Yet, Perry said he wasn’t even aware for much of the game. “I never worry about points. I just wanted to play hard, make the right reads and have a good game,” Perry said. “I didn’t know until after halftime when I started getting told I was getting closer to 60.”

Even after the bus ride home, Perry was in disbelief. “About 10 minutes ago, me and my buddy were shooting free throws in the gym and I said, ‘We really just had coach Cal watching us play basketball,’” Perry said.

Last week, Perry updated his recruitment with 247Sports, where he talked glowingly about Michigan and Ole Miss – the perceived favorites – but also about Matt Painter and Purdue starting to make a push. Therefore, it is good to see Kentucky show more interest in the in-state talent.

Related Topics:John Calipari K.T. Turner Travis Perry

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

Published

2 weeks ago

June 7, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

How about a Sunday boom in the recruiting world for you BBN?

Ryan Hampton, the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has officially committed to the University of Kentucky! This is Mark Pope’s first top-10 prospect that he’s earned a commitment from.

Hailing from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton recently took an official visit to campus with his family, which began on Friday, June 5 and spilled into Sunday, June 7, his commitment day.

The five-star wing averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the most recent EYBL Circuit, playing for LivOn and Nightrydas.

Hampton was the first recruit in the 2027 to officially visit with the Wildcats, and now he’s the first to call their shot early and choose the blue and white.

Pope has signed Milan Momcilovic, the No. 2 ranked transfer, and Hampton, his first top-10 high school prospect just in the past week.

It’s been a crazy week for recruiting, with the narrative around Pope’s ability slowing fading as the top guys continue to be attracted to the Kentucky brand.

BB Recruiting

Fast Riser Big Man Yann Kamagate Receives Scholarship Offer From Kentucky

Published

1 month ago

May 18, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Fresh off the first live recruiting period of the offseason, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have extended their first scholarship offer of the 2028 class.

Yann Kamagate, a prospect who went from unranked to the top five in 247Sports’ most recent recruiting rankings, received an offer from the Wildcats, he confirmed to KY Insider on Monday.

“Not everyone gets the chance to be seen by greatness,” Kamagate told KY Insider. “I’m grateful for the offer from Kentucky.”

Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who works with the Wildcats’ big men and their development, watched Kamagate first-hand this past weekend in the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Mishawaka, Indiana.

The 7-foot big man was the talk of the weekend, displaying a high motor, extreme athleticism — a reported 7-9 winspam — and great feel for the game. On the circuit, he is averaging 13.9 points, a circuit-leading 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Originally from the West African country of Burkina Faso, Kamagate moved to the United States just a year ago and has only been playing basketball for three years. Now, he is challenging for the top spot in the 2028 class.

He is currently represented by former NBA player and UCLA star Luc Mbah a Moute. Which is relevant as he is currently playing for the California Adidas team, Compton Magic, and attends La Cañada Flintridge (Calif.) St. Francis.

The offer is the latest signal that Mark Pope’s staff is casting a wide and aggressive net this offseason, and targeting players whose trajectories are trending sharply upward. Kamagate fits that profile exactly.