BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Staff Visits Multiple Five-Star Recruits Over the Weekend

Published

3 years ago

March 27, 2023

After losing in the Round of 32 a little more than a week, the Kentucky coaching staff is wasting no time to try and right their wrongs and bring in more talent. This past weekend, John Calipari was accompanied by Orland Antigua and Bruiser Flint as they hit the recruiting trail, catching some of Kentucky’s top targets in the class of 2024 and 2025.

Let’s take a look at who Kentucky paid a visit to as they look to keep the recruiting hot as the AAU season nears for the nation’s biggest circuits.

Note: Rankings from 247Sports.

Alier Maluk (2025, No. 2 C, No. 15 Overall)

To kick off the weekend, Kentucky watched Alier Maluk in Pennsylvania. A Top-15 prospect in the class of 2025, and arguably the best big man in the class. 6-foot-10, 180-pounds, height and skill runs in the family as he is the cousin of 7-foot-2 center Bol Bol, who currently plays in the NBA with the Orlando Magic.

At this moment, it is still early in Maluk’s recruitment as he just finished his sophomore season. With that said, Kentucky has yet to extend an offer to Maluk and likely won’t until this summer when college coaches can begin directly contacting recruits and they can begin taking official visits. When that happens on June 15th, expect Kentucky to be in the mix as they have been in contact with Maluk since he was 15 years old.

Scouting Report: Maluk is a dynamic two-way prospect and can be looked at as a“modern” big man. Well-known for his shot-blocking ability, Maluk is also capable of handling the ball but hopes to develop that more and develop as a stretch-four.

Flory Bidunga (2024, No. 1 C, No 2 Overall)

On the heels of watching 2023 Kentucky signee, Justin Edwards, win his second state championship, the Kentucky staff paid a visit to Flory Bidunga, who scored 19 points for Kokomo in his state championship game in Indiana.

However, Kentucky was not the only school represented as Michigan’s Juwan Howard, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Indiana’s Mike Woodson, and Auburn’s Bruce Pearl were among those on hand to watch Bidunga play.

While very interested, Kentucky does not seem to be one of the leaders for Bidunga, as things are currently trending with Cincinnati and Indiana. Last fall, Cincinnati hired Drew Adams as an Associate AD, the son of Mark Adams who runs Bidunga’s AAU team, Indiana elite.

With that said, Bidunga has been also working on scheduling a visit to Kentucky in the future, which could give Wildcats a boost in his recruitment.

Scouting Report: At 6-foot-9, 215 pounds, Bidunga already possessed a college-ready frame. Has an “unbelievable” motor, and plays well on both sides of the ball. In the Adidas grassroots circuit last summer, Bidunga averaged 18.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game on 76.4 percent shooting.

Boogie Fland (2024, No. 2 CG, No. 7 Overall)

With news that Rick Pitino – who recently took the Saint John’s job – paid a visit to see Bronx product Boogie Fland, Calipari and Antigua were sure to affirm Fland as one of Kentucky’s top priorities by stopping by to watch him play.

Thus far, North Carolina has been Fland’s only official visit, but this took place prior to Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson’s commitments to the Tar Heels. With Fland’s junior season coming to a close, he plans to take four more official visits in the coming months.

After Alabama lost Fland’s leading recruiter to the Arkansas state head coaching job, Kentucky is in a good position for Fland, and a commitment from him at some point would soften the blow of losing Ian Jackson to North Carolina.

Scouting Report: Looked as one of the best pure point guards in the 2024 class, Fland has a well-rounded game. While he is more than capable of getting his teammates involved, specifically in the pick-and-roll, his shooting ability has long been his calling card.

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.