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Top Basketball Recruits Visiting Kentucky This Weekend

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Kentucky and Kansas are the two most winningest programs in college basketball history, and any time they play each other it’s going to be a big-time game. On Saturday, the two teams will face off for the 35th time, with Kentucky holding an overwhelming 24-10 advantage.

With a motivated team and excited fanbase, the Rupp Arena atmosphere will be one of the best this season, if not the best. This makes it a perfect opportunity to show the best of the program and Kentucky will have three top recruits making visits.

Let’s check them out!

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Rob Dillingham (2023, No. 9 Overall, No. 1 PG)

The lone Kentucky signee, Rob Dillingham is a part of a stacked 2023 recruiting class that includes Aaron Bradshaw, DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards, and Reed Sheppard. He is the No. 2 ranked point guard in the class behind, only behind Wagner (247Sports).

With a slim 6-foot-2, 165-pound frame, Dillingham is one of the most electrifying and most talented guards in the 2023 class. Currently playing for Overtime Elite, he is averaging 13.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds.

Unfortunately, playing for Overtime Elite, Dillingham does not meet all the criteria to be selected as a McDonald’s All-American, specifically the following: “Attends and participates in a high school program that has ONE eligible varsity team and is a member of a high school athletic conference or league.”

It is worth noting, that despite signing his National Letter of Intent, there have been rumors of Dillingham not actually coming to Kentucky. While his recruitment has been unique, I believe that is unlikely. His visit on Saturday should add confidence to that.

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Tre Johnson (2024, No. 1 Overall, No. 1 SG)

Tre Johnson, the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class (247Sports), would be a huge get for Kentucky to make a splash after missing out on Ian Jackson. A 6-foot-5, 180-pound combo guard out of Texas playing for Lake Highlands High School and is an elite playmaker that can do just about everything, but is an elite shooter.

Johnson’s recruitment is spearheaded by UK’s newest assistant K.T. Turner, known for his recruiting ties in Texas, and even ties to the Johnson family themselves. Tre’s father, told the Lexington Herald-Leader back in August that Turner has “always been a good friend,” and “He [Turner] reaches out to Tre every other day or so.”

While Kentucky is in a good position, Johnson says he is “open to anywhere”. Having already taken visits to Texas and Baylor, Kentucky will be his third with more coming including Arkansas, North Carolina, and Duke. With that said, the professional routes will be a contender to land Johnson’s services.

Jasper Johnson (2025, No. 26 Overall, No. 4 CG)

Ranked as the No. 1 sophomore in Kentucky, and a top-30 prospect in the country overall, Jasper Johnson is receiving interest from top schools around the country such as Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, and Tennessee.

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Standing 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, Johnson is still growing into his frame, but possesses great length which allows him to be active in the passing lanes. On the offensive side, he possesses a smooth jump shot and some surprising explosiveness.

Jasper grew up a Kentucky fan as his father, Dennis Johnson, was an All-SEC defensive end for the Kentucky football team. However, he would like to hear more from the Wildcats, which will likely happen this spring if he sustains his high level of play. It is promising that he is taking a visit now.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Receives First Transfer Commitment From Top 25 Prospect, “Not Many People Get Opportunities Like This”

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Kentucky transfer Kam Williams prepares to shoot.

While all the attention is on Kentucky’s matchup with Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, the transfer portal officially opened on Monday and the staff has been hard at work.

Already tossing a wide net, reaching out to nearly a dozen guys in the past few days, the Cats have reeled in their first commitment from Top 25 ranked (247Sports), four-star transfer Kam Williams from Tulane.

With a 6-8, 190-pound frame, Williams has good size. What caught the staff’s eye is his ELITE shooting ability, shooting better than 41 percent this past season and that includes 17 threes made beyond 25 feet. He excels best in catch-and-shoot situations, where he ranks in the 94th percentile.

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Williams received interest from many schools in addition to Kentucky, such as Florida, Louisville, and St. John’s among others. Why did Williams commit to Kentucky so quickly?

“Not many people get opportunities like this, so I wanted to pull the trigger fast,” Williams told ESPN. “More people are waiting to fill that spot, so I had to take advantage.”

“My dream is to play in the NBA. Kentucky’s culture and background shows that they care about their players, especially developing them into the best players they can be.”

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Kentucky Named a Finalist for Five Star, Top 5 NBA Prospect Nate Ament

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2025 top five prospect Nate Ament on his visit to Kentucky.
UK Athletics

Mark Pope has received three top-35 commitments in his first high school recruiting class, including two high 4-star commits in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.

However, his first top-10 prospect still eludes him after missing out on Caleb Wilson last month… at least for now.

Over the last few weeks, Pope and his staff have focused heavily on top-five prospect Nate Ament.

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Ament, the second-ranked power forward in the 2025 class, cut his list down to five schools earlier this week: Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The 6-foot-9 prospect has visited each of them except Arkansas over the last five months, with a decision expected in the next month or so. Where does each program stand?

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Louisville and Duke have “positioned themselves” the best in this recruitment, giving Pat Kesley and the Cardinals a slight lead. However, there is still time, and one thing that could shake things up the most is NIL, reported to be one of Ament’s biggest priorities.

Elsewhere at On3, Jamie Shaw did his own update, where he said this could be down to a Kentucky vs. Louisville battle.

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“Speaking with sources at this point in time it does sound like there is a split room around Nate Ament with Duke, Louisville, and Kentucky. With the intel I am currently getting, I would not be surprised to see this ultimately come down to a Kentucky and Louisville battle,” Shaw wrote, later adding that a decision could come in the next few weeks.

Ament is fresh off a visit to Kentucky, where he saw Rupp Arena at its best as the Wildcats completed the season sweep of Tennessee. That being his most recent visit, along with Pope visiting for Ament’s Senior night, the hope is it made a lasting impact, but will it be enough?

Time will tell, but the Cats are a legitimate contender to land Ament.

Be sure to read Shaw’s update here.

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Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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Kentucky Hosting Top Five Recruit Nate Ament

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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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