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Kentucky Basketball Recruiting Round-Up for 2024 Prospects

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Twitter/ HayesHoopsCHSAA

In the last couple of weeks, Kentucky basketball has made moves and seen progress with some of its prospects in the 2024 recruiting class. Coach Cal and company dominated recruiting for the class of 2023. Expectations for recruiting success in the 2024 class will be just as high.

No. 2 Guard in 2024 Class, Ian Jackson, Set to Commit on Monday

One of the top players in the 2024 class has made his decision and will soon be announcing it and ending his recruitment. Ian Jackson, the No. 2 overall player in the class, is set to make his announcement at 3 PM EST on Monday between Kentucky, North Carolina, and Arkansas.

Kentucky has long been thought to be the favorite, but following a visit to North Carolina, they have made up a lot of ground on Jackson. The top-ranked guard was interviewed by Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim at the Hoophall Classic on Sunday.

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On one hand, Jackson talked glowing about Kentucky and their ability to get guys to the NBA after one season, seeing himself as that caliber of player.

“Their history of putting pros in the league, getting guys in the league. One-and-done guys, specifically, NBA guys thriving in the league,” Jackson said of Kentucky. When asked about how his yet-to-be-announced school set itself apart he gave a Kentucky-favoring answer, “I feel like in their system, I’ll thrive and be a one-and-done.

Yet, Jackson also talked about North Carolina and his recent visit in high regard. “The family aspect… I felt like that’s where I should be, from what I thought,” Jackson said.

Given these comments, insider predictions are split, but all will be answered come Monday afternoon.

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Kentucky Visits 2024 No. 1 Center, Flory Bidunga

On December 20th, 2022, head coach John Calipari and assistant Orlando Antigua made the trip up to Kokomo, Indiana to watch Bidunga and Kokomo take on Zionsville. Bidunga is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound center. He is the #1 ranked center in the 2024 class according to On3 and 24/7 Sports recruiting rankings. ESPN currently has him as #2 behind Jayden Williams.

Each of these databases has him ranked as the #3, #4, and #7 overall recruit in the 2024 class, respectively. In the 2022-2023 season, he is averaging 17.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 4.9 blocks per game.

The highly-touted center has the length and wingspan that helps him to be a great shot blocker and also gives him an advantage in finishing at the rim. Despite his length, Bidunga displays surprising finesse by converting floaters and corner jumpers off the pick-and-roll.

Kentucky offered Bidunga on October 11th, 2022 however, UK is not currently on his shortlist. According to On3 and 24/7 Sports, Cincinnati has the best odds to land him at this time. Other schools targeting Bidunga include Florida, Auburn, Purdue, Michigan State, and Indiana.

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It will be interesting to see if Coach Cal and his staff will be able to get in the mix before he makes his final decision.

Kentucky offers 3-star shooting-guard, Billy Richmond III

Billy Richmond III is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard from Memphis, TN. He is the son of Billy Richmond Jr., who played for Coach Calipari at Memphis from 2002-2004. Coach Cal made an official offer to Richmond III on December 30th, 2022. This follows a recent trend of Coach Cal’s as he has now offered a legacy recruit in three consecutive classes – Adou Thiero (2022), DJ Wagner (2023), Billy Richmond III (2024).

Richmond III is the 28th-ranked SG in the 2024 class. He is currently averaging 12.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 steals per game for Camden High School (NJ). He plays alongside current UK commits in the 2023 class, DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw.

Kentucky Makes List for Four-Star Point Guard, Tahaad Pettiford

The No. 2 point guard in the 2024 recruiting class announced his final seven schools on January 2nd, 2023. His list included Kentucky along with UCLA, Auburn, Kansas, UConn, Seton Hall, and Ole Miss. Kentucky first offered Pettiford on July 13th, 2022.

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Pettiford is ranked as the No. 2 PG and No. 21 overall in the class by 24/7 Sports Composite. He stands 6-feet, 160 pounds and even though he isn’t the tallest player on the court, Pettiford’s athleticism allows him to play above the rim.

He fits the mold of a typical John Calipari point guard – a lefty with explosive quickness, athleticism, and ability to push the pace (i.e. De’Aaron Fox and Sahvir Wheeler). As a sophomore, Pettiford averaged 18.4 points per game.

Top 10 Forward in 2024, Airious “Ace” Bailey, Commits to Rutgers over Kentucky

Airious “Ace” Bailey is the 6th ranked overall player in the 2024 class according to the 24/7 Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-10 small/power-forward included Kentucky in his final 12 schools to start 2023.

Bailey announced his list with a graphic via Twitter and Instagram on January 1st, 2023. In addition to Kentucky, his list included Georgia, Rutgers, Auburn, Texas, Memphis, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas, West Virginia, Oregon, and Arkansas.

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In a surprise turn of events, Bailey announced his commitment to Rutgers on Sunday.

Bailey’s natural length and athleticism are supplemented by explosiveness and a go-get-the-ball mentality. He is a threat on both ends of the floor as he can shoot, rebound, and guard all 5 positions. Much of his talent comes from raw ability alone as he is still in need of refinement of some skills.

Bailey is currently averaging 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.

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Top 20 Prospect Taylen Kinney Set To Visit Kentucky

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James Weber | The Enquirer

Taylen Kinney, one of the top guards in the 2026 class and the No. 1 point guard in Kentucky, will take an official visit with the Wildcats beginning on June 24.

The Newport, Kentucky native has been inserted in a bit of a bidding war with Louisville and other premier schools after his official visit with the Cardinals, but of course the true recruiting powerhouse had to cast a line in hope of a bite.

KSR’s Jack Pilgrim caught a video of Kinney working with Mark Pope one-on-one on the morning of June 17 at the USA U19 Training Camp in Colorado Springs.

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A picture of Kinney, along with Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson, two of Kentucky’s incoming freshman on this year’s squad, came out of the camp. Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 player in the class of 2026, who already took a visit to Kentucky recently, was also shown in the picture. All four players are Kentucky natives.

Kinney is a priority for Kentucky, and Pope planting the idea of being a Wildcat in his mind this past weekend certainly builds the hype of his commitment being a future reality.

However, we can’t act like Pat Kelsey hasn’t already beat Pope to the punch, and it may be too late to change Kinney’s mind on being a Cardinal.

“I probably talk to coach Kelsey twice a week,” Kinney said. “He talks to my parents multiple times a week. I talk to the whole staff all of the time.”

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He later added on some words that no Wildcat fan would want to hear.

“They (Louisville’s staff) just told me that I was their guy,” Kinney said. “I fit perfectly into their system, and there’s no other school that I fit better into than them.

A common member of Big Blue Nation would likely think “yeah alright, wait until you get that Kentucky treatment,” and with the climate of today’s recruiting trail, who knows what can happen.

It will likely be a long time before the star guard makes an official decision, but who doesn’t like a good back-and-forth between two rival programs. The bell has already rung, and round one goes to the Cardinals, but the Wildcats are coming out swinging for round two.

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No. 1 Ranked Recruit Takes Official Visit to Kentucky

The top-ranked recruit in the nation, Tyran Stokes, took his official visit to Kentucky following a prior delay.

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Tyran Stokes takes his official visit to Kentucky.
Mark J. Rebilas | Imagn Images

Being from Louisville doesn’t necessarily make you a cardinal, and Mark Pope has set out to prove that in the biggest possible way.

The top-ranked overall recruit in next year’s class, Tyran Stokes, officially took a visit to Lexington on Sunday, June 8. This comes in lieu of many rumors that he’d canceled his visit altogether due to frustration with fans trying to dig for information online.

Last month in a cryptic post on X, Stokes said, “Why can’t y’all give a kid some privacy”. As curious as that was, especially given the proximity to his originally planned visit to Kentucky, it seems that the true issue had no bearing on his choice to hear Coach Pope’s plea. 

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And, as Kentucky fans now know, sometimes that’s all it takes to get a guy in blue and white.

The Louisville native, at 6’7, 230, has become widely renowned for his strong slashing ability as a multi-threat scorer on the wing. Stokes is the sort of player that, nobody who you already have on your team, you make room for him. He’s got an intangible build made for the big leagues, and he’s not even out of high school yet.

Stokes is the kind of guy that’d have NBA scouts sitting court side in Rupp Arena. While that level of national buzz isn’t always a good thing, it’s hard to underscore the possibility, and excitement, of the top recruit in the nation committing to the Cats come 2026.

In the very least, Kentucky is in the race, alongside Kansas and Louisville as heavy pursuers. It’s never too early to look ahead, and, as usual, Pope and staff are doing just that with the biggest names in the game.

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Kentucky Earns Commitment From European Big Andrija Jelavic

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ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic

Earlier today, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats received the commitment from Andrija Jelavic, a 6-foot-11 big from Croatia.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Jelavic is one of the most highly regarded European prospects that is taking his talent to the NCAA.

Soon to be 21 years old, Jelavic averaged 10.8 points per game on 60% shooting from the field to go along with 7.4 rebounds per game for Mega Superbet, the same club that NBA Champion and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic played for.

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As a shock to most, who were expecting Pope’s next commit to be a guard of some sorts, international players can now sign lucrative NIL deals. Kentucky, along with several of the elite colleges, are now in the European market. 

Jelavic, with shades of current European big men, can do just about everything on the court. He can shoot, dribble, pass, finish at the rim, etc. With a very relevant comparison, Jelavic plays almost perfectly in the replacement role of Andrew Carr. 

His commitment now makes him the fifth member of Pope’s additions this offseason, joining Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, Mouhamed Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance. 

With a 7’2” wingspan, joining an already impressive Kentucky frontcourt, it’s safe to say for certain that this new team will not lack in that department. 

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Next year’s roster was loaded with talent already, but now with the addition of Jelavic, lots of questions are arising: Who will start? How many more players is Pope going to add? What will happen with the walk-ons? 

There’s plenty to think about for Pope and his staff before the season starts, but like he said back when he introduced himself to Big Blue Nation, “We’re here to win banners.” He’s going to make the moves he thinks will do just that for the Wildcats. 

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