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Five Star Recruit Says Kentucky Offer “Meant the World to Me”

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Compton Magic on Twitter

When you look at the class of 2023 commitments for the Kentucky Wildcats, there is just one name, in-state legacy commit Reed Sheppard. However, since an upset loss to Saint Peter’s, the Kentucky coaching staff has been on the recruiting trail looking to add to that list.

Kentucky’s most recent offer was this Saturday to Andrej Stojakovic, one of the best, if not the best, shooters in the class of 2023, as confirmed by his AAU program, the Compton Magic.

The offer comes after John Calipari and Orlando Antigua scouted Stojakovic in Spartanburg this weekend at a stop in the Adidas travel circuit, where Stojackovic currently ranks seventh in scoring at 18.8 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor.

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Stojakovic stands 6-foot-6 and 185-pounds, as a top-100 recruit. Offensively, Stojakovic’s biggest strength is his shooting ability, whether that be off the catch or off the dribble, but he is still able to mix it up with his inside game. This combination allows him to fit the mold of the modern-day wing.

With as advanced footwork as anyone in the country and with his size and length, he is able to create separation and get off any shot he wants, when he wants.

Defensively, Stojakovic has the frame and is athletic enough to guard the post and on the perimeter. With a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he also has shown to be a respectable rim protector and rebounder.

The sharpshooting genes run strong in the Stojakovic family, as Andrej is the son of former three-time NBA All-Star and NBA champion, Peja Stojakovic, one of the best shooters in NBA history.

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Kentucky is not the only school taking notice. In just the last month, Stojakovic has received 10 other offers from power five schools including Kansas, Oregon, Florida, and Texas among others. However, the Kentucky offer seemed to carry a little more weight with Stojakovic telling 247 Sports, “it meant the world to me.”

Stojakovic’s full comments: “It [the offer] meant the world to me. Obviously, coach Cal is one of the best coaches of all time, and for him to even notice my game and say the things he said about me was kind of surreal. Traditionally it’s a basketball school, you make it to the tournament every year and you have expectations to win it all and they just go out, compete and play against the best.”

In an interview with Jamie Shaw of On3, Stojakovic talked more about Kentucky

“For a coach like Coach Cal (John Calipari) to notice my game and say what he said about me is surreal. He saw me play on Friday and then called me last night. He talked about how I make the right play and rebound and defend. Sure I can score, but he said he liked the little things I did. I am glad I am even on their radar. It means I am doing something right.”

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The best shooter in the country would look pretty good in Kentucky blue.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Has Contacted Nation’s Leading Scorer, Four-Star Transfer Jaron Pierre Who Is “Definitely” Interested in the Cats

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Jacksonville State transfer Jaron Pierre has been contacted by Kentucky.
Jacksonville State Athletics

There are more than a thousand players in the transfer portal, meaning names are flying left and right. As of April 1st, Kentucky has one commitment in Kam Williams (Tulane), and is projected to land top 25 transfer Magoon Gwath (San Diego State).

That said, the Kentucky staff has been in contact with more than a dozen players, and there is another notable player to add to that list.

KY Insider can report that Kentucky has contacted Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State. Pierre is currently a four-star transfer prospect and ranked as the 34th ranked prospect in 247Sports‘ transfer portal rankings.

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At Jacksonville State last season, Pierre scored more points than anyone else in college basketball (777 points), averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range (9.0 attempts per game). He scored 30 points or more in six games, and only had one game where he did not score in double digits. His impressive play earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Pierre also had prior stops at Southern Miss and Wichita State, where he spent two years at each school, and will be going into his sixth season of college basketball. Pierre has also declared for the NBA Draft, but is not currently projected on any mock drafts.

While still early in his recruitment, Pierre tells KY Insider that he is “definitely” interested in Kentucky, but no Zoom meeting or visit has been scheduled.

“I love it Big Blue Nation,” Pierre said of the Kentucky program. He also really liked what Mark Pope was able to do in his first season in Lexington. “He was able to pick up right where it left off.”

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The level of competition is always a question when evaluating a mid-major talent, but Pierre’s athleticism jumps off the page and a 38.2% clip from three on nine attempts per game is nothing to slight at.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Receives First Transfer Commitment From Top 25 Prospect, “Not Many People Get Opportunities Like This”

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Kentucky transfer Kam Williams prepares to shoot.

While all the attention is on Kentucky’s matchup with Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, the transfer portal officially opened on Monday and the staff has been hard at work.

Already tossing a wide net, reaching out to nearly a dozen guys in the past few days, the Cats have reeled in their first commitment from Top 25 ranked (247Sports), four-star transfer Kam Williams from Tulane.

With a 6-8, 190-pound frame, Williams has good size. What caught the staff’s eye is his ELITE shooting ability, shooting better than 41 percent this past season and that includes 17 threes made beyond 25 feet. He excels best in catch-and-shoot situations, where he ranks in the 94th percentile.

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Williams received interest from many schools in addition to Kentucky, such as Florida, Louisville, and St. John’s among others. Why did Williams commit to Kentucky so quickly?

“Not many people get opportunities like this, so I wanted to pull the trigger fast,” Williams told ESPN. “More people are waiting to fill that spot, so I had to take advantage.”

“My dream is to play in the NBA. Kentucky’s culture and background shows that they care about their players, especially developing them into the best players they can be.”

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Kentucky Named a Finalist for Five Star, Top 5 NBA Prospect Nate Ament

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2025 top five prospect Nate Ament on his visit to Kentucky.
UK Athletics

Mark Pope has received three top-35 commitments in his first high school recruiting class, including two high 4-star commits in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.

However, his first top-10 prospect still eludes him after missing out on Caleb Wilson last month… at least for now.

Over the last few weeks, Pope and his staff have focused heavily on top-five prospect Nate Ament.

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Ament, the second-ranked power forward in the 2025 class, cut his list down to five schools earlier this week: Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The 6-foot-9 prospect has visited each of them except Arkansas over the last five months, with a decision expected in the next month or so. Where does each program stand?

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Louisville and Duke have “positioned themselves” the best in this recruitment, giving Pat Kesley and the Cardinals a slight lead. However, there is still time, and one thing that could shake things up the most is NIL, reported to be one of Ament’s biggest priorities.

Elsewhere at On3, Jamie Shaw did his own update, where he said this could be down to a Kentucky vs. Louisville battle.

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“Speaking with sources at this point in time it does sound like there is a split room around Nate Ament with Duke, Louisville, and Kentucky. With the intel I am currently getting, I would not be surprised to see this ultimately come down to a Kentucky and Louisville battle,” Shaw wrote, later adding that a decision could come in the next few weeks.

Ament is fresh off a visit to Kentucky, where he saw Rupp Arena at its best as the Wildcats completed the season sweep of Tennessee. That being his most recent visit, along with Pope visiting for Ament’s Senior night, the hope is it made a lasting impact, but will it be enough?

Time will tell, but the Cats are a legitimate contender to land Ament.

Be sure to read Shaw’s update here.

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Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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