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Kentucky Basketball Recruiting Round-Up for 2024 Prospects

Published

2 years ago

on

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

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

Published

6 days ago

on

November 15, 2024

By

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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BREAKING: Four-Star PG Acaden Lewis Commits to Kentucky over Duke and UConn, “You Can’t Beat What They Are Doing”

Published

3 weeks ago

on

November 2, 2024

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2025 four-star point guard prospect Acaden Lewis has announced his commitment to Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
UK Athletics

It’s a good start to the weekend as Kentucky basketball has picked up a commitment. 2025 four-star point guard Acaden Lewis from Washington, D.C., announced his commitment to Kentucky on Saturday afternoon, picking the Wildcats over Duke and Connecticut.

Funny enough, during an unofficial visit in Lexington back in June, Mark Pope joked with fans that Lewis was committing to Kentucky. While Lewis didn’t commit that day, Pope was able to seal the deal a few months later.

Why Kentucky?

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“It felt like a community. Pope, he was in the hood with me. He came to my barber shop and everything. It felt like a home. Felt like somewhere I should be. The system is great.”

Lewis joins five-star commits Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson in Kentucky’s class, and helps bolster the Wildcats’ class ranking up to second, only behind Duke. Both players recruited Lewis to join them, with Moreno joining him for part of his official visit to Kentucky back in October, including being featured in his photoshoot. Shortly after the visit, Lewis said in an interview about Kentucky, “You can’t beat what they were doing.”

While Moreno and Johnson were big recruiting victories, they were both players from Kentucky. This is Pope’s commitment from outside of the state, and he went up against the bluest of blue bloods in Duke, UConn, and North Carolina.

Now, can Lewis help Kentucky close the deal on consensus top 10 wing Caleb Wilson? The two have expressed a lot of interest in playing together, and Wilson is aiming to make a decision by December, with Kentucky as one of the two leaders.

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Scouting Report

Lewis is a lefty lead guard who is extremely talented with the ball. He has soft hands and natural touch that are the foundation of a very advanced skill set. His handle is tight, he’s a lay-up maker with both hands, and he has soft floaters and tough pull-ups alike in the mid-range area. While Lewis connected on just 31% of his threes during EYBL play, he’s a much better shooter than those numbers indicate. He made 83% of his free throws, attempted nearly 7 threes per game, and projects as someone who not only has gravity spotting up but can be a movement shooter as well.

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BB Recruiting

Malachi Moreno Helping Kentucky Recruit Top 2025 Point Guard

Published

1 month ago

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October 16, 2024

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Five-star Kentucky commit Malachi Moreno is helping the Wildcats recruit one of the top point guards of the 2025 class Acaden Lewis.
UK Athletics

This past weekend was a big moment for Kentucky basketball, as the first Big Blue Madness of the Mark Pope era took place. In years past, the event has hosted multiple five-star recruits and this year was no different.

While the guest list was smaller due to USA Basketball junior mini camp, the Wildcats had two top recruits in attendance, 2026 five-star Anthony Thompson and 2024 four-star combo guard Acaden Lewis.

The latter is one of Kentucky’s biggest recruiting priorities in the 2025 class and was also on campus for an official visit as he prepares to make his college decision in early November. To help was five-star commit, Malachi Moreno.

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While Moreno couldn’t make it to Big Blue Madness, he was able to meet with Lewis during his visit on Thursday and even took part in his photo shoot, as the pair posed together in Kentucky uniforms in Rupp Arena.

It helps to have a five-star commit just down the road to help recruit. Could we see the pair play together next season at Kentucky? Things are trending in that direction, but time will tell.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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