BB Recruiting

Dwayne Washington, A Tale of Two Stories

Published

4 years ago

April 21, 2022

Staff/Torstar

Dwayne Washington is the mentor of Shaedon Sharpe and has had a good connection with Kentucky and John Calipari for several years, dating back to another player of his, Shai Gligeous-Alexander.

Well, I’d say that relationship is now on the rocks, if not severed.

From the time Sharpe stepped on campus as an early enrollee, Washington repeatedly told the coaching staff and the public that Sharpe would not be entering the 2022 NBA Draft and will be playing for Kentucky for the 2022-23 season, which you can read here.

However, according to The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker, Washington has been saying the complete opposite behind the scenes.

Via text message, Washington declined four times to answer a direct question from Tucker on Thursday: Do you dispute that you’ve been telling people in the NBA that Sharpe plans to stay in the draft?

Rather than providing a simple response, Washington deflected, telling Tucker, “From now on, I’m only going to respond to actual names of people. Because the term ‘NBA people’ is broad. I wouldn’t listen to anyone if I were you. Just go by Shaedon’s statement. Those are the facts.”

Washington went on to add that Sharpe “has no agent!!!!” (Washington has failed to earn his agent certification) and concluded that “if he [Sharpe] wanted to leave, he would have left a long time ago.”

One unnamed agent that has been in contact with Washington, admitted that as far back as the fall, Washington confirmed to him that Sharpe would be in the 2022 NBA Draft.

What a circus.

Sharpe nor his family should receive the blame for this, at the end of the day they trusted Washington, their advisor and he led them down a circus.

While fans never got to know Sharpe too well, he is a shy, quiet kid that was well-liked by the staff and his teammates, but the actions of others may have consequences on the projected top-10 draft pick.

Washington, as mentioned has yet to receive his agent certification, which is fitting as he created a no-win narrative for Sharpe and handled the situation as an amateur.

Once again you can read many of Washington’s lies to fans here.

Related Topics:Dwayne Washington NBA Draft Shaedon Sharpe

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

1 week 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.