BB Recruiting

Kentucky Hosts No. 1 2024 Tre Johnson for Official Visit, Makes an Impression

Published

3 years ago

February 9, 2023

UK Athletics

At the end of January, the Kentucky Wildcats hosted the Kansas Jayhawks for one of the biggest matchups of the college basketball season. Kentucky took full advantage of the anticipation of that weekend, as they played host to the top prospect in the 2024 class, Tre Johnson.

In addition to Johnson, future Wildcats Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were in attendance as well as 2025 recruits, Jasper Johnson and R.J. Greer. However, Johnson was undeniably the recruit of the highest priority.

Tre is the consensus No. 1 ranked prospect in the 2024 class. He is a 6-foot-5 versatile wing player that possesses the skills that the Kentucky staff was looking for previously in Ian Jackson.

The Johnson family arrived in Lexington Thursday night and began the official visit Friday morning, carrying into the game. The visit consisted of touring the campus, facilities, and spending time with the team to see how they prepared going into the game against Kansas. It should also be noted, that UK assistant K.T. Turner helped lead the tour as he is a “family friend” of the Johnson family.

In an interview with Cats Illustrated, Tre’s father, Richard Johnson, recapped the visit.

In the interview, Tre’s father was asked about what he and Tre were looking for at the schools they were visiting. “The coaching, the relationships, freedom, style of play, and then the crowd, player development, who is working the guys out in practice, the strength and conditioning, the nutritionist. Most of the colleges are providing those.”

Johnson confirmed that Kentucky is a place that meets these needs, “they’ve got top-of-the-line stuff. I don’t know the name of all of the machines, but they’ve got equipment that tells different areas of your body that’s weak, and you need to work more on.”

When asked about Coach Cal, his coaching style, and the team’s preparation for the game, Johnson commented, “Those coaches did their homework in the scouting reports, and breaking down film. I began learning some of the plays just watching them go over and rep them so many times. So the preparation was very good, because that’s what they’re going to do in the NBA and at the next level.”

Johnson also appreciated the atmosphere that Big Blue Nation brought not just to Rupp Arena, but to the city of Lexington. “The crowd was loud and very supportive. The game was at eight o’clock at night, and that morning they were already starting to line up. The crowds were coming. It was cold outside, and people were still lined up outside with their Kentucky apparel on ready for the game.”

Kentucky did end up losing Kansas, in part thanks to a poor shooting night from the three-point line. Richard took note that that is an area where Tre could contribute,“The shooting just wasn’t there for Kentucky that night. You could definitely see some areas where I feel Tre could have contributed, and will be able to play and to be able to shine in those moments.”

In conclusion, Johnson states that they enjoyed their experience at Kentucky. They were impressed by the campus and facilities, and had their questions answered. Including information about NIL opportunities.

“They talk about the opportunities to get NIL, and the different ways they help their players. Of course, your top players will get NIL. Most programs have NIL deals for everybody. Everybody is going to be able to get something. That’s big right now with college, so of course that’s something everybody is talking about, the NIL that they have.”

Tre Johnson has taken three official visits so far – Kentucky, Texas, and Baylor – and has two visits remaining – Kansas and Arkansas. The G-League and Overtime Elite are also routes that he and his family will consider.

Tre’s father states that the hope is to have a decision before the start of Tre’s senior year, “Hopefully by some time in the summer we probably will be able to make a decision before his senior year, so we won’t have those concerns. All of that is behind us so we can just work and get better.”

Related Topics:John Calipari Tre Johnson

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.