BB Recruiting

Five-Star Center, Aaron Bradshaw, Picks Up Crystal Ball Prediction for Kentucky

Published

4 years ago

June 27, 2022

UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats have already secured two five-star commitments for the class of 2023- Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard – and may soon add another.

On Monday, Aaron Bradshaw, who is ranked as a top-15 prospect and the No. 2 center in the class of 2023, picked up a crystal ball prediction of “high confidence” for Kentucky from Travis Branham of 247Sports. This is a prediction that can be trusted, as Branham is 13/13 (100%) on his 2022 predictions and 147/157 (93.63%) all-time.

This comes after Bradshaw took a visit to Lexington back earlier this month. Bradshaw is also considering Louisville, UCLA, Michigan, and the G-League among others.

After only playing in a handful of games as a freshman and sophomore, this past season was just his first full schedule in organized basketball and he certainly shows the potential to be special.

With a 7-foot, 210-pound frame, Bradshaw is physically gifted and is a high-level defensive player. At this point in his development, he needs to improve his post-game and become most consistent with the 10-15 foot jumpshot.

During this year’s EYBL circuit, Bradshaw is averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3 blocks (ranks 2nd in the EYBL) per contest, and at times has shined the brightest on the court. This is notable when you consider that Bradshaw is on the same team as DJ Wagner and Mackenzie Mgbako, two top-five recruits.

Team director and former Louisville Cardinal, Pervis Ellison even talked about Bradshaw’s potential, saying, “If you saw him three years ago and seen the progression that he has gone through, I think the sky is the limit for him… ‘that kid is going to be a future lottery pick.’ He has the mindset, the attitude, and the dedication, so he’s going to be a good one.”

As previously mentioned, Bradshaw is also the teammate of five-star combo guard, DJ Wagner, who was long considered to be a Kentucky lock prior to Kenny Payne’s hiring at Louisville. The duo has talked about playing together in college, and if Bradshaw were to commit to Kentucky, that would certainly help Kentucky’s case for Wagner.

With Bradshaw’s commitment, Kentucky would jump up a spot to second in the 2023 class rankings, just behind Duke, who has four commitments.

With two five-star commitments and a third to be on the way, Calipari could put together one of the best-recruiting classes he has had at Kentucky.

Check out some of Bradshaw’s Junior season highlights below.

Related Topics:Aaron Bradshaw DJ Wagner Duke John Calipari Kenny Payne Louisville Michigan NBA G-League Nike EYBL Reed Sheppard

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.