Here’s where Kentucky basketball recruits landed in new class of 2024 rankings
While Kentucky basketball doesn’t yet have any verbal commitments in the class of 2024, the Wildcats are in pursuit of some of the top players in that class.
With the start of the men’s college basketball recruiting period last Friday, college coaches have fanned out across the country to make in-person visits to the players they value the most in upcoming recruiting classes.
For Kentucky, this has included several top prospects in the class of 2024, including Boogie Fland, Ian Jackson (a reclassification candidate to move into the 2023 class) and Tre Johnson, among others.
Now, there’s an updated way to assess which players UK has its attention focused on in that class.
On Wednesday, 247Sports released its updated rankings for the class of 2024.
Here’s a look at where players who hold a UK scholarship offer — and other players that Kentucky has shown an interest in — landed in the updated 247Sports Composite rankings, which takes into account the new specific 247Sports rankings, along with additional notes about their recruitment.
Unless otherwise noted, all players listed have a scholarship offer from Kentucky.
Point guards
Boogie Fland
▪ Previous rankings: No. 13 player nationally, No. 2 point guard, No. 2 player in New York
▪ New rankings: No. 10 player nationally, No. 1 point guard, No. 2 player in New York
▪ Notes: Kentucky visited Fland at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, on Monday.
Tahaad Pettiford
▪ Previous rankings: No. 35 player nationally, No. 4 point guard, No. 2 player in New Jersey
▪ New rankings: No. 24 player nationally, No. 2 point guard, No. 2 player in New Jersey
▪ Notes: According to 247Sports, Pettiford is planning to cut his list of potential post-high school playing options midway through his junior season. Kentucky had two coaches visit Pettiford over the weekend.
Travis Perry
▪ Previous rankings: No. 86 player nationally, No. 14 point guard, No. 2 player in Kentucky
▪ New rankings: No. 84 player nationally, No. 13 point guard, No. 1 player in Kentucky
▪ Notes: Perry — whose father and mother both graduated from UK — is on pace to become the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school boys’ basketball history. According to 247Sports analyst Travis Branham, Perry will be taking an official visit to Michigan this weekend. Perry also took an official visit to Purdue last weekend.
Shooting guards
Isaiah Elohim
▪ Previous rankings: No. 4 player nationally, No. 3 shooting guard, No. 1 player in California
▪ New rankings: No. 9 player nationally, No. 3 shooting guard, No. 1 player in California
▪ Notes: Elohim will take an unofficial visit to Arkansas in early October.
Ian Jackson
▪ Previous rankings: No. 2 player nationally, No. 1 shooting guard, No. 1 player in New York
▪ New rankings: No. 1 player nationally, No. 1 shooting guard, No. 1 player in New York
▪ Notes: Kentucky visited Jackson on Tuesday. Jackson is a reclassification candidate to move into the class of 2023, but told the Herald-Leader last month he would would make the reclassification decision after his upcoming high school season.
Tre Johnson
▪ Previous rankings: No. 3 player nationally, No. 2 shooting guard, No. 1 player in Texas
▪ New rankings: No. 2 player nationally, No. 2 shooting guard, No. 1 player in Texas
▪ Notes: Kentucky was expected to go three-deep for a visit to Johnson on Monday, with head coach John Calipari and assistant coaches Chin Coleman and K.T. Turner all expected to meet with Johnson.
Johnson was moved to the No. 1 national spot in the 247Sports-only rankings, but is just behind Jackson in the updated 247Sports Composite rankings.
Dink Pate
▪ Previous rankings: No. 32 player nationally, No. 9 shooting guard, No. 2 player in Texas
▪ New rankings: No. 72 player nationally, No. 16 shooting guard, No. 5 player in Texas
▪ Notes: A trio of Kentucky coaches — Calipari, Coleman and Turner — visited Pate, who doesn’t yet have a UK scholarship offer, on Monday. According to Travis Graf, who covers recruiting nationally for Rivals, Pate plans to take an unofficial visit to Kentucky for Big Blue Madness in October.
Jahki Howard
▪ Previous rankings: No. 29 player nationally, No. 8 shooting guard, No. 4 player in Georgia
▪ New rankings: No. 48 player nationally, No. 14 shooting guard, No. 5 player in Georgia
▪ Notes: Kentucky was expected to watch Howard — who is part of the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta — on Tuesday. Howard doesn’t yet have a UK scholarship offer.
Combo guards
Dylan Harper
▪ Previous rankings: No. 27 player nationally, No. 2 combo guard, No. 1 player in New Jersey
▪ New rankings: No. 12 player nationally, No. 2 combo guard, No. 1 player in New Jersey
▪ Notes: Kentucky is expected to visit Harper for an open gym soon. Harper doesn’t yet have a Kentucky scholarship offer.
Small forwards
Amier Ali
▪ Previous rankings: No. 30 player nationally, No. 8 small forward, No. 6 player in Florida
▪ New rankings: No. 28 player nationally, No. 8 small forward, No. 6 player in Florida
▪ Notes: According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Kentucky will visit Ali on Wednesday.
Karter Knox
▪ Previous rankings: No. 9 player nationally, No. 4 small forward, No. 2 player in Florida
▪ New rankings: No. 5 player nationally, No. 2 small forward, No. 1 player in Florida
▪ Notes: UK is expected to visit Knox, the younger brother of former UK star Kevin Knox, this week.
Airious “Ace” Bailey
▪ Previous rankings: No. 11 player nationally, No. 5 small forward, No. 2 player in Georgia
▪ New rankings: No. 8 player nationally, No. 4 small forward, No. 2 player in Georgia
▪ Notes: Kentucky offered a scholarship to Bailey on Tuesday night, after head coach John Calipari and two assistant coaches visited him.
Naas Cunningham
▪ Previous rankings: No. 1 player nationally, No. 1 small forward, No. 1 player in Georgia
▪ New rankings: No. 3 player nationally, No. 1 small forward, No. 1 player in Georgia
▪ Notes: UK visited Cunningham — a star in the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta — on Tuesday. Cunningham doesn’t yet have a Kentucky scholarship offer.
Power forwards
Asa Newell
▪ Previous rankings: No. 34 player nationally, No. 5 power forward, No. 7 player in Florida
▪ New rankings: No. 13 player nationally, No. 1 power forward, No. 3 player in Florida
▪ Notes: UK is expected to visit Newell — who doesn’t yet have a Kentucky scholarship offer — this week.
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 12:29 PM.
