Connect with us

BB Recruiting

Johhny “Bucket” Juzang could Reclassify to 2019 Class, Announcement Tomorrow

Published

on

With five players definitely leaving (Reid Travis, PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson, Tyler Herro, and Jemarl Baker) and potentially two more (Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery), there is a lot of unpredictability as we look ahead to next year’s Kentucky team.

Returnees
G Ashton Hagans
G Immanuel Quickley
G Brad Calipari
G/F Zan Payne
C Nick Richards
C EJ Montgomery

Newcomers
G Tyrese Maxey
G/F Khalil Whitney
G/F Dontaie Allen
F Keion Brooks
F Nate Sestina

Advertisement

John Calipari is exploring all possibilities to fill next year’s roster and one of the hottest names in Kentucky basketball recruiting right now is 2020 five-star wing, Johnny Juzang.

This past Friday, the day Jemarl Baker announced he would transfer from UK, John Calipari and Joel Justus visited Juzang in California and offered him a scholarship.

At 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, Juzang has good size at the wing and is widely considered a top-25 recruit and an elite scorer in the 2020 class.

As a junior, Juzang averaged 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 43% FG and 35% from three.

Advertisement

Recruiting guru, Evan Daniels of 24/7 Sports, is now reporting that Juzang is “seriously” considering reclassification to the 2019 class and will take a visit to Lexington on April 29th.

If Juzang were to reclassify he would need to obtain credits away from his current school Harvard-Westlake, as they do not have an early graduation program.

As more news comes out the Cats seem to be picking up more momentum, which is certainly promising as Juzang tweeted that he’s got a “big announcement” coming tomorrow night.

Virginia, USC, and Kansas are among other schools going after Juzang but Kentucky’s recent momentum has most believing the Wildcats are the favorite and his offense will be certainly welcomed in Lexington.

Advertisement

Scouting Report: Just like Tyler Herro, Juzang is a natural born “bucket”. Juzang can score inside and out and everywhere in between using quick release jumpers, floaters, and scoop shots to score in the lane. Juzang also plays well off the ball and excels in catch and shoot situations. Juzang does lack athleticism and handling.

NBA Comparison: Dillon Brooks

Here is a video from October, with Juzang talking about Kentucky’s “winning” and “wanting to be a pro”.

Advertisement

BB Recruiting

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.”

Advertisement

Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Hosting Top Five Recruit Nate Ament

Published

on

Top five prospect Nate Ament will be visiting Kentucky in Rupp Arena as they take on Tennessee.
USA Basketball

After missing out on Caleb Wilson, Kentucky has shifted focus to its last remaining prospect, Nate Ament. The 6-foot-9 small forward prospect out of Warrenton, Virginia, is now the Wildcats’ last remaining prospect in the high school ranks for the 2025 class.

Ament has set up a visit to Kentucky, which was first reported by On3’s Joe Tipton. He will be in attendance when Tennessee travels to Rupp Arena on February 11th, with both the Wildcats and the Volunteers in the mix within the recruitment.

It is important to note that Kentucky is behind in this recruitment as they prioritized Caleb Wilson over Ament which did not pay off in the end. Ament has already visited Duke, Tennessee, Louisville, Texas, and Notre Dame. He is currently down to 11 schools including the Cats.

Advertisement

Duke has been considered the longtime favorite in the recruitment but Mark Pope and company will have the chance to sell themselves before Ament decides to commit to another school.

Mark Pope even recruited Ament during his visit to Tennessee, where Kentucky pulled the upset on the road. As the team was celebrating coming off the floor, Pope passed Ament saying “Let’s go, Nate,” and “C’mon, Nate.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending