DJ Wagner Commits to Kentucky, Choosing Wildcats over Rival Louisville
The final piece to Kentucky basketball's Class of 2023 has been added.
DJ Wagner, the top 5-star prospects in the '23 Class has announced his commitment to Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over rival Louisville.
“I have known D.J. his entire life and I’ve always wanted to coach him," UK head coach John Calipari said of Wagner. "Above all he is a competitor. He attacks the offensive end and is a versatile scorer, but he is equally as tough on defense. I love the spirit he’ll bring to practice every day, and I love that he wanted to be at Kentucky. He knows that to get the best of himself, he needs to be surrounded by other talented players who are going to match his competitive energy.”
The 6-foot-3 combo guard out Camden High School in New Jersey has been considered a lock to head to Lexington for some time now. His addition to John Calipari's '23 group gives Kentucky the top incoming class in the nation.
“Coach John Calipari was always straightforward and honest with me," Wagner told ESPN's Paul Biancardi. "He said he would be with me until the wheels fall off the car either way. And that meant so much to me.”
The Wildcats' class already includes three other 5-stars, in small forward Justin Edwards (No. 2 in 247Sports Composite rankings), center Aaron Bradshaw (No. 6) and point guard Rob Dillingham (No. 9). 4-star combo guard and Kentucky native Reed Sheppard (No. 29) rounds out the star-studded group.
It is the seventh time that Calipari has had the No. 1 class in the nation during his tenure as Kentucky head coach.
All five recruits have now officially signed their National Letter's of Intent to come to Kentucky. Camden teammates Bradshaw and Wagner are expected to be apart of a signing ceremony this Wednesday, Nov. 16, the final day of the early signing period.
On Oct. 21, Calipari hinted at the commitment of Wagner during the Greater Louisville UK Alumni Club Hosts Basketball Tipoff Luncheon:
“I may get another kid where I coached his dad,” he said. “Now all of a sudden you’re like, ‘I’m coaching kids (of my old players).'”
Calipari coached Dajuan, the father of DJ, during his tenure at Memphis. Wagner has also signed an NIL deal with Nike, which of course is partnered with UK Athletics.
Here's what Adam Finkelstein, 247's director of scouting had to say in his evaluation of Wagner:
"Wagner is a proven and versatile scorer, with numerous weapons at his disposal. He’s also an elite competitor who plays hard, has a way of raising the level of those around him, and doesn’t get enough credit for bringing a similar mindset to the defensive end of the floor. He plays in constant attack mode, accelerates right at his defender while mixing in some shake and shiftiness, scores around the rim with both hands, and is a legitimate threat to create his own shot at all three-levels. He’s not a true point guard, and yet has needed the ball in his hands to be effective to this point in his career, as he’s been the focal point of almost every environment he’s been in to date. He lacks great positional size and is a good, albeit not great, overall athlete. He also tends to be stuck in first gear and needs to learn when to slow down and pick his spots. Most of all, there’s no denying that he’s going to have to shoot the ball from long-range at a higher rate than he did this summer, and yet also no glaring mechanical deficiency that should prevent him from doing so."
The high-profile recruitment finally comes to an end with John Calipari coming out on top. The Hall of Fame head coach had this to say about his '23 Class before Wagner's decision earlier this afternoon:
"Unbelievable group of young people. They all wanted to be here together. And there's a talent level there," he said.
That talent level just went up a tick, thanks to the addition of Wagner.
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