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Kentucky Offers 2024 Top Five Prospect, Naasir Cunningham

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Overtime Elite

Just two days after Ian Jackson announced his commitment to North Carolina over Kentucky, John Calipari and staff have moved the focus to another elite prospect. On Wednesday, Naasir Cunningham announced via Twitter that he had received an offer from Kentucky.

Cunningham is a 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward from West Orange, New Jersey. According to 247Sports composite ranking, he is the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 class and the No. 1 ranked small forward. He currently averages 13.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in the Overtime Elite League.

After spending some time in the league with the YNG Dreamerz, Cunningham now plays alongside current 2023 Kentucky signee, Rob Dillingham on the Cold Hearts. This may play a positive role in favor of Kentucky’s recruitment of Cunningham moving forward.

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Cunningham may be just the wing player that Kentucky is looking for to replace what would’ve been Ian Jackson in 2024. The New Jersey native has the length that coaches look for along with a confident jump shot and the ability to finish at the rim.

The biggest challenge in for the Kentucky staff in Cunningham’s recruitment will be to battle Duke and the professional options. With that said, he did say back in November that no school has pulled away.

Naasir joins Tre Johnson, Boogie Fland, Flory Bidunga, Tahaad Pettiford, Billy Richmond, Karter Knox, Isaiah Elohim, Amier Ali, and Travis Perry to hold an offer from Kentucky in the 2024 class.

Scouting Report

Naas Cunningham is a long and athletic wing prospect. Offensively, he is a skilled shooter extending beyond three, specifically on the catch. However, he is also capable of creating space and hitting the jumpshot. In transition, Cunningham shows his explosiveness.

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With a 6-foot-7, 180-pound frame, Cunningham will need to continue putting on weight and getting stronger. This would allow him to be more aggressive and attack the basket, rather than settling for difficult jump shots, which he has a tendency to do. Given his length, size, and athleticism, Cunningham has the potential to be a good team defender in time.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

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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. 

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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. 

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Fast Riser Big Man Yann Kamagate Receives Scholarship Offer From Kentucky

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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