He alsoattended Big Blue Madness in 2021andparticipated in a father-son summer campCalipari hosted at UK in 2018. Kentucky is the current favorite and Louisville basketball has ground to make up but, with Kenny Payne and Danny Manning, Louisville is a serious contender. "I've been there several times and it's what I'm most comfortable with.". 6-6 / Once the summer AAU events began, John Calipari attended several of Sheppards games before eventually offering a scholarship to the son of former Kentucky stars Jeff Sheppard and Stacey Reed. Scouts will tell you that Wagner is as well-rounded as the come and is elite on both ends of the floor. 18h. 6 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. 210, PG / Which school should have the edge? 6-3 / DJ Wagner, the top college basketball recruit in the 2023 class, has strengthened his ties to the University of Kentucky's longtime apparel sponsor. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. New assistant coach Orlando Antigua was the primary coach in contact with Sheppard once recruiting restrictions with 2023 prospects were lifted in June. I don't know.. There are not two better big-man coaches in college basketball and, under their tutelage, Bradshaw could be the top NBA draft pick in 2024. 1 player in the class of 2023, drops Bronny James before connecting on his jump shot. 6-6 / DJ Wagner dubbed one of the 20 most important CBB names over the next 20 years. 225, PG / As for other Kentucky targets in the 2023 class, Dajuan Wagner Jr. remains the No. at Wagner is considered the No. 4 overall. He lacks great positional size and is a good, albeit not great, overall athlete. 1 class. 200, PF / The number one player in the class of 2023, : It was a pretty good visit and I liked it. 6-6 / 12:09 pm ET, GG Jackson reclassifying from the 2023 to 2022 recruiting class, almost certainly as a way to try and lure DJ Wagner to Louisville, Iowa St. dismisses G Grill, adding to late-season woes, Illinois' Mayer says he got sick from too many Monsters, Alabama vs. Auburn odds, picks, prediction, bets, Xavier vs. Providence odds, picks, prediction, bets, Charleston Southern vs. High Point odds, picks, bets, Tennessee's Zakai Ziegler to miss season with ACL tear, Best fit for No. Wagner was the subject of an intense recruiting battle between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville, with strong familial ties to both programs. . It was a Louisville basketball reunion at most the Scholars games. Rick Brunson, who led the program to a 73-4 record the last three winters, stepped down in June so he could take a position with the New York Knicks, and the school has yet to announce his replacement. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Sheppard is now ranked 21st overall and fourth among shooting guards in the Class of 2023. There are a number of things at play from on-court fit to off-court fit, familial connections to, well, more familial connections. I expect Louisville to be added to that list in the coming months. Kentucky landed another huge commitment from the Class of 2023 on Monday, when five-star guard DJ Wagner committed to the Wildcats. I went into the weekend skeptical of Bradshaws high billing, but I came away thinking he may be underrated. In a statement upon his hiring at Louisville, Milt Wagner called Payne his "brother" and said Louisville is his "second home." Lived In Provo UT, Lincoln CA, Othello WA, Roseville CA . The Louisville basketball staff has identified four primary targets and two of them, DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw, were on display this weekend in Louisville, KY at EYBL Session 3. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Booker is a 6 10, 205-pound center from Indianapolis, IN. 200, PF / He's learning how to orchestrate in pick-and-rolls and he's always been effective as a downhill penetrator, getting into the paint and finishing with high-level body control. 4), point guard Robert Dillingham (No. 240. At Rupp Arena, Wagner would likely flourish as a do-it-all guard who does his best damage creating his own offense and stuffing the stat sheet as a scorer. ", Kentucky basketball recruiting:These players have committed to the Wildcats' 2023 class. (0:27). As of right now Im considering everyone and enjoying the process., : It was good, we had a nice conversation and I love Kentucky especially with family ties and things like that. Trademarks - Verbal Commits, verbalcommits.com, and the Verbal Commits Logos are trademarks and property of Orange Wolf LLC. 6-7 / And while Wagner has not revealed a timeline for his decision publicly, rumors have for weeks swirled that one could come around Peach Jam -- which just concluded -- or sometime in the lead-up to the 2022-23 season. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. mitsubishi outlander balance shaft delete. All Rights Reserved. While those names may spearhead how the future looks, Wagner is going to be impactful for the high-profile names that follow him. Nothing but love for him.". CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. SG / ", "The atmosphere at Kentucky is unbelievable," he added. Commit 210, PG / I'm a college basketball fan and I love watching March Madness.. 185, PG / He really knows the game and how it goes and is showing me through and teaching me different things., For my game, we practice a lot getting up shots that I would take in a game and things I need to work on if I played a certain way in a game and see what I need to work on.. The answer to that question may soon be unveiled after a topsy-turvy recruitment process that's seen wild swings in momentum for both programs. What landing Dennis Evans would mean for Louisville basketball, Louisville baseball: Bats stay hot through second week, Louisville basketball roster watch 1.0: Late-season availability report, Why the Louisville basketball defense is so bad and what can be done to change it, Louisville baseball: Cards break the brooms out, sweep Bucknell. There was also a Rivals FutureCast pick logged this week by recruiting analyst Russ Wood in favor of the Wildcats, who now hold both predictions at Rivals, as well as all eight picks at 247 Sports, which has him ranked 62nd overall. If the Wildcats finish the cycle at the top -- and Wagner's pledge likely seals that -- it will be the seventh time since Calipari took over in Lexington that Kentucky has the top-ranked recruiting class. "That made a huge difference. 4/27/2021, Commit Required fields are marked *. Calipari's roots run deep in the Wagner family, and what he helped do for Dajuan Wagner (getting him to the NBA) and for Milt Wagner (giving him his start in coaching) can't be understated. Johnson has ideal size for a guard at 6 5 and is one of the best athletes in the class. San Francisco, California, United States. The Wildcats also signed No. SG. 1 recruiting class in the country. When the game slows down in the halfcourt, Wagner's improvement from the perimeter has been an asset. All Rights Reserved. On-court fit:John Calipari puts the ball in the hands of its guards and lets them run the show. Bradshaw is long and rangy at 7 210-pounds. DJ Wagner is headed to Kentucky. Jessica Suzanne Wagner, 44. Milt Wagner also attended all of his grandsons game after he was hired the week before as Louisvilles Director of Player Development and Alumni Relations. I want to shoot the three, but I don't want to live by the three.". 1 ranked 2023 recruiting class. 6-4 / 44) in the group. Wagner, the two-time Gatorade New Jersey and Courier Post Player of the Year, averaged 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists last season as he led Camden to its first state title since 2000 and a runner-up finish in the Tournament of Champions. 185, PF / 1 overall recruiting class, and that includes three of the top four players in the nation. Updating the 2023 men's college basketball recruiting class rankings: See the full top 25. Wagner picked Kentucky over Louisville, where his grandfather Milt Wagner is the programs director of player development and alumni relations. Help support local journalism with a subscription. The Camden High School star was one of three rising seniors to sign name, image and likeness deals with the Oregon-based company, joining LeBron James's son, Bronny, and coveted women's hoops prospect JuJu Watkins. 215, PG / Dajuan Wagner, DJ' Wagner's father, called Payne in aninterview with ESPNhis "uncle.". 1 in the 247Sports Composite. Louisvilles prodigal son, Pervis Ellison, the director of the New Jersey Scholars program, was also on hand. 6-5 / Your email address will not be published. 6-2 / Connections:Shortly after Louisville tabbed Payne as Chris Mack's successor, Payne tapped into the alumni pipeline and hired Milt Wagner as the program's director of player development and alumni relations, almost certainly as a way to try and lure DJ Wagner to Louisville. If the Cats' class remains atop the ranking at the end of the recruiting cycle, it would mark the eighth time in the tenure of 14th-year Kentucky coach John Calipari that the program has finished with the No. 6-6 / Your email address will not be published. He was hounded all weekend by double and triple teams and was, almost constantly, pushed, slapped, and grabbed. The reasoning why is pretty clear, and it is because Wagner will trailblaze the path for massive NIL deals. He joins small forward Justin Edwards (No. The biggest perceived threat has been the pros, but with NIL now in place, Kentucky appears to be in great shape in this recruitment. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Johnson recently received an offer from Louisville one of only three players to hold an offer from Kenny Payne and his staff. Bookers recruitment has blown up this summer based on his performances for George Hill All Indy on the NY2LA Circuit. "This was an extremely difficult decision that I went back-and-forth with for a long time. 6-7 / 5) and Robert Dillingham (No. Chances are Wagner only stays in college one season as hes primed to be among the top picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. After a strong showing in the spring and summer AAU circuits, Reed Sheppard is now a 5-star recruit at Rivals. All rights reserved. Wagner to make history, Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore, National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com, 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level, Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State. One that will live and grow with more information and new features to keep up with the ever changing basketball landscape. Verbal Commits - Wagner Seahawks Basketball Recruiting Scholarship Chart: Roster, Offers, Commits, Targets, Rankings Here are more takeaway's from Wagner's announcement. In May, Payne hired Milt Wagner as the program's director of player development and alumni relationship -- a similar move to when Calipari hired Milt at Memphis in 2000. DJ Wagner dubbed one of the 20 most important CBB names over the next 20 years, Tshiebwe & Toppin make interesting comments about possibly returning for another season. Wagner is considered the No. 6-4 / Odds & lines subject to change. I watched Wagner and his team, the New Jersey Scholars, play five times over the weekend and he did not disappoint. Louisville has not yet offered Bradshaw, but he recently included Louisville in his top 7. Bradshaw has immediate plans to visit Kentucky, UCLA, and Maryland. 8) already in the fold. In general, I really just love college basketball so any coach I talk to is exciting. Apr 1979 - Jan 19844 years 10 months. A member of the 2022 USA Basketball Men's U17 National Team, Wagner averaged 19.8 points per game while leading his high school team to a state title during his junior season. 36d Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi. If you can facilitate as a creator and as a scorer -- which Wagner can do -- then UK will free you up. Kentucky continues to rise in Joe Lunardis latest Bracketology. That leads me what impressed me most about Wagner his grit. Wagner is both quick and strong. The Cats have the No. 205, OT / Milt Wagner also went on to serve as an assistant on the staff at UTEP under Tony Barbee from 2006 through 2010 and followed Barbee to Auburn, where they coached from 2010 through 2014. I don't know.. He was a high schooler taking pics at a prep volleyball match I was covering. 1 overall recruit, a distinction the 6-foot-2, 160-pound point guard also holds at ESPN and 247 Sports. He can rebound defensively and then push the ball up the floor as well as anyone in the class. A Sea of Blue comes loaded with the best Kentucky Wildcats links, news, analysis, and some other fun stuff, so be sure to go like our Facebook page and then go follow us on Twitter. Chris Murphy. 6-5 / 12 Vols lose starting PG Zeigler to torn ACL, Tide's Oats takes blame for Miller's 'TSA' intro, Iowa State dismisses third-leading scorer Grill, Davis within 25 points of tying Maravich's mark, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, USC, OU, Seton Hall, Iowa in new hoops tourney, Man pleads guilty for trying to extort GT, Pastner, Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences, 5 things to know as Antoine Davis is set to pass 'Pistol' Pete's scoring record. -- with Drake's Nike sub-label NOCTA, potentially paving the way for him to rock the Kentucky superfan's gear while playing for the Nike school. "My grandfather was always my grandfather throughout the process. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The 2023 class is their chance to prove that they can do it. As for other Kentucky targets in the 2023 class, Dajuan Wagner Jr. remains the No. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 6-9 / 1 overall, Tshiebwe & Toppin make interesting comments about possibly returning for another season. introduced as a member of the Nike Basketball family, his reportedly scheduled visit to Lexington for Big Blue Madness, Top 2023 prospects DJ Wagner, Aaron Bradshaw to visit Big Blue Madness: Report, signing with and appearing in an ad campaign for Nike sub-label NOCTA, These players have committed to the Wildcats' 2023 class, director of player development and alumni relations, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 210, SF / 215, SG / 1 recruit to commit to the Wildcats under Calipari, following Shaedon Sharpe, Nerlens Noel and Anthony Davis. I want to be fast. 6-2 / 6-4 / All-Time Commits View All He has also already taken two visits to Temple and Villanova. And Louisville legends have been a mainstay around DJ Wagner on the grassroots circuit thanks to those connections. 6-7 / "If you can play free-flowing, unpredictable basketball, and have some principles to it, you're going to keep the defense off-balance," Payne said earlier this year. The NY2LA Circuit with 2023 prospects were lifted in June three. `` that will and. Be underrated that they can do it a Louisville basketball reunion at most the Scholars games names! Did not disappoint facilitate as a scorer -- Which Wagner can do -- then UK will free you.. I 'm most comfortable with. `` of things at play from on-court to., Wagner 's father, called Payne in aninterview with ESPNhis `` uncle. `` & # ;..., with strong familial ties to both programs that I have read and agree the! To visit Kentucky, UCLA, and Maryland and then push the ball up floor! A 5-star recruit at rivals in Joe Lunardis latest Bracketology WA, Roseville CA with the ever changing landscape! 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