2026 four-star big man Josh Irving talks Kentucky visit and decision timeline

Kentucky has been hosting a slew of recruits recently, and of of them is Josh Irving, a top 50 prospect in the 2026 class. The staff has been recruiting Irving for a while now and he made a trip to Lexington this past weekend to get a feel of not only the campus, but what Big Blue Nation is all about, as he was able to attend Big Blue Madness on Saturday and take in the environment.

Irving, a 6-11 big man from Pasadena, CA, is down to Kentucky, Texas A&M, USC, Louisville, Kansas, San Diego State, and SMU. The four-star big man spoke with Kentucky Wildcats on SI to talk about his visit to Kentucky, his thoughts on the program, and a timeline for a decision. Irving was able to get a taste on Saturday of what it would be like suiting up in blue and white and he was impressed by the fans.

"The visit was amazing," Irving told Kentucky Wildcats on SI. "I got to see a big family of Kentucky fans and supporters. It felt weird because I'm not used to seeing so many dedicated fans." What are his thoughts on the program as a whole after taking it all in over the weekend? "The Kentucky program is one of a few that I’ve seen that I’ve been really impressed with. All the people love Kentucky to death. The atmosphere is the best I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot of college basketball games."

What is Irving looking for in a school? Development is the number one thing. "I’m looking for the best program I can fit into as fast as possible and keep developing my game so I’m always getting better. A lot of the schools so far did check those boxes and I’m currently looking into what school has better qualities compared to the others."

The 6-11 big man also talked about a decision timeline, and it's safe to say one could be coming soon as early as next week. "So far, I’m thinking about committing the week after my last visit which this week, I go to USC." Irving has taken visits to all of his top 7 schools, coming off ones to Kentucky and Texas A&M. The four-star big man is set to visit USC this weekend.

Kentucky certainly seemed to make a good impression on Irving last weekend, and with a decision likely to be coming soon, was it enough to push Kentucky to the front land and land the four-star big man? We'll see, but it certainly sounds like the visit couldn't have gone any better for the Wildcats.