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Kentucky Basketball Recruiting Round-Up for 2024 Prospects

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2 years ago

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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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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Hosting Top Five Recruit Nate Ament

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2 weeks ago

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February 11, 2025

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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.

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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.”

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Mark Pope Recruited Five-Star Recruit Nate Ament During His Tennessee Visit

Mark Pope made sure to get a word in with Nate Ament following Kentucky’s impressive road win against Tennessee.

Published

3 weeks ago

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February 1, 2025

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Nate Ament, a five-star prospect ranked fourth (ESPN 100) in the 2025 class, made an official visit to potential suitor Tennessee last Tuesday, Jan. 27. Unfortunately for them, Mark Pope and his Kentucky Wildcats were in town.

The ‘Cats put on a show in front of the highly-touted recruit, spoiling the Volunteer’s homecoming and making a statement to a player who has yet to make an official commitment.

Not only that, but Kentucky is still in the mix. Ament recently cut down his list of schools to a final bunch: BYU, Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Alabama, and the Big Blue, among others.

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While Duke currently holds the next visit and opportunity to sway Ament in their direction, Coach Pope made sure he got a word in after the win against Tennessee.

“Let’s go Nate”

According to KSR’s Jacob Polacheck, Pope reportedly passed Ament as he left the handshake line, saying “Let’s go Nate,” and C’mon, Nate.” There are few ways more effective to prove yourself and your system to a player than to win in convincing fashion right in front of them.

Without a doubt, Pope earned himself and the program a few brownie points with that one.

If Kentucky were to land Ament, he’d fit right into the ranks of recruits that Pope has landed so far. Then again, a 6’9 forward averaging nearly 20 points per game in high school could likely find a spot just about anywhere.

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According to Ament, two of the most important aspects of his decision are “player development” and “the family aspect of the team.”

“Wherever I go I want to make sure I’m taken care of and have the best relationships. I also want to be challenged to get better and play for a coach that lets me play through my mistakes,” he said.

If Mark Pope is known for anything, it’s his personable approach to coaching and his constant insistence on study and improvement. For Ament, it seems like Kentucky is a good fit and he will be taking a visit to Lexington in February.

Can Mark Pope get his first top-five recruit?

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Top Recruit Cancels Visit to John Calipari and Arkansas, Kentucky the Perceived Leader

Published

3 months ago

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November 15, 2024

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Chet White | UK Athletics, Nelson Chenault | Imagn

Recruiting. That was Mark Pope’s biggest criticism at BYU and in just six months he has calmed most of those worries. In addition to recruiting thirteen guys in a little over a month for his first team, he has signed three top 30 prospects for the 2025 class, including two five stars, as Kentucky sits third overall in the recruiting rankings.

Now, it looks like Pope is nearing his first top-10 prospect, besting John Calipari and Arkansas.

Caleb Wilson, a 6-9, 205-pound wing from Atlanta, cancelled his visit to Arkansas for the second time on Thursday and is not expected to reschedule. In a recent interview with Jack Pilgrim, Wilson had less-than-ideal things to say about the Razorbacks.

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“I really have never considered or thought about Arkansas before Coach Cal went there,” Wilson said. “I’m not really in tune with the school. I never thought I would be interested in Arkansas. I never knew anything about them. I never knew they were in the SEC until like a year ago.”

Meanwhile, Wilson was in attendance for Kentucky’s win over Duke on Tuesday.

The recruitment for Wilson has been interesting. Wilson was heavily considering Kentucky when Calipari was still the head coach, attending the 2023 Big Blue Madness, and many thought that would carry over with his move to Arkansas. Towards the end of the grassroots circuit, it was clear that wasn’t the case.

That is when Kentucky started making a strong push for Wilson, with the primary competition being North Carolina. When Wilson visited Lexington in September it vaulted them to the top of the list and they have continued to carry that momentum in the weeks since. A NIL offer upwards of $2 million doesn’t hurt either.

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A final list for Wilson is expected to be released soon, with a decision coming by mid-January. You should really like Kentucky’s chances, and what a statement it would be to get a commit over Calipari and another over North Carolina (Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson).

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