Kentucky has received a prediction to land a top guard in 2026

This top recruit has a special tie with a Kentucky assistant coach.

Mar 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA;The Kentucky Wildcats mascot perform in the second half during a Midwest Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Kentucky has received a prediction for one of the staff's top targets in the class of 2026. On Monday, On3's Joe Tipton put out a list of early predictions for many top 2026 recruits as recruiting season heats up, and one of his predictions included the Wildcats to land 2026 Top-10 prospect Jason Crowe Jr., who has some ties to one of Kentucky's assistant coaches.

Crowe Jr. is coming off the first recruiting live period of the season, in which multiple members of the Kentucky staff where in attendance at Nike EYBL in Memphis to catch him in action. The connection that the 6-3 guard has with Kentucky is unlike with any other school on his radar. Crowe Jr.'s father, Jason Crowe Sr., has been friends with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart for years, as the two were high school teammates at Inglewood in California, the same school that Crowe Jr. is attending. It's certainly a tight relationship, as Crowe Jr. recently told KSR in an interview that Hart is "like an uncle." That relationship should carry weight as the five-star guard's recruitment goes on. The 6-3 guard is targeting the Winter as the time when he will make his decision, he recently told KSR.

One of the best scorers in the class and arguably the top point guard, Crowe Jr. put that on display over the weekend in front of the Kentucky staff. As the leading scorer in the 17U division through two sessions, Crowe Jr. backed that up, with scoring splits of 35 points, 27 points, 18 points and 17 points. Mark Pope was courtsde for the 6-3 guard's 35-point performance as well as his 27-point outing earlier that day. Crowe Jr. has yet to take a visit to Kentucky, but that will change when he comes to Lexington for Big Blue Madness in October. Other schools pursuing the five-star guard include UCLA, Arkansas, Arizona, Alabama, Louisville and USC.

The West Coast ties from Jason Hart with the Crowe family is something no other school recruiting the Top-10 guard has. That should help Kentucky over the next few months as Crowe Jr. begins to take visits. Check out some of Crowe Jr.'s highlights from the weekend below.

This 5⭐️ battle lived up to the hype 🍿

Team Takeover took home the 87-79 W over the Oakland Soldiers 😤

-Jason Crowe Jr: 35 points
-Tyran Stokes: 27 points
-Jordan Smith Jr: 23 points
-Qayden Samuels: 21 points pic.twitter.com/wEJVOaxEJx

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) May 18, 2025