National analyst has a new prediction for star basketball recruit with Kentucky offer
There’s a new prediction for one of the first basketball recruits from the 2023 class to land a Kentucky scholarship offer. It’s not in favor of the Wildcats.
Rivals.com national analyst Rob Cassidy logged a pick Tuesday in favor of Oregon for five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr., who took an official visit to Lexington in November and earned a UK scholarship offer during that trip. The 6-foot-9 prospect from Baltimore is currently one of seven uncommitted players from the class of 2023 with a Kentucky offer.
There are currently no predictions on Evans’ 247Sports Crystal Ball page, and there hasn’t been much public speculation regarding his possible college destination. Duke, Indiana, Oregon and Texas have all been mentioned by Evans as schools of interest during his junior season, but the official visit to UK is, so far, the only such trip of his recruitment. UCLA also extended a scholarship offer a few weeks ago.
Evan is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2023 class, and Rivals.com has him as the nation’s No. 5 junior. He left Baltimore last year to transfer to prep powerhouse Montverde Academy (Fla.), where he has played a national schedule this season while surrounded by several other five-star recruits. Former Kentucky commitment Skyy Clark is among his teammates.
“He has a really high ceiling,” 247Sports analyst Travis Branham told the Herald-Leader before Evans’ visit in November. “If he makes the proper jumps and he really hones in on his development process, he’s a kid with tremendous two-way upside. A shotmaker with some playmaking potential, and a versatile defender. …
“He has great size, length and athleticism. If he really develops, he can be one of those guys that defends all five positions. So he has a tremendous amount of potential.”
There is no timetable for Evans’ college decision.
Oregon has also emerged as a possible favorite for Mookie Cook in recent days.
Cook — a wing from Portland, Ore. — is the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He, too, has an early scholarship offer from Kentucky, and the Wildcats looked like possible favorites after his official visit last fall. Cook visited his home-state school last month, however, and the Ducks have been getting all of the buzz in his recruitment ever since that trip concluded.
It’s possible Cook could reclassify to 2022 and play college basketball next season.
The other uncommitted players in the 2023 class with UK scholarship offers are combo guard DJ Wagner (No. 1 in the composite rankings), and small forwards Mackenzie Mgbako (No. 3), JJ Taylor (No. 5), Matas Buzelis (No. 10) and Justin Edwards (No. 16).
UK already has a 2023 commitment from five-star combo guard Reed Sheppard.
