Aaron Bradshaw will be a Kentucky Wildcat. What does this mean for UK basketball?
With the initial shock and surprise from Aaron Bradshaw’s commitment to Kentucky now settled, it’s time to take a look at what it means for the future of the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball program.
Bradshaw — a 7-foot-1, 215-pound center — became Kentucky’s fourth commitment in the class of 2023 on Friday night.
Despite announcing that he would reveal his post-high school basketball destination on Nov. 16, Bradshaw went ahead and let the world know he would be a Kentucky Wildcat shortly before UK’s Big Blue Madness celebration.
Bradshaw attended Big Blue Madness, along with a bevy of other top Kentucky recruits.
He joins point guard Robert Dillingham, combo guard Reed Sheppard and small forward Justin Edwards in the 2023 recruiting class for Kentucky.
The trio of five-stars (Bradshaw, Dillingham and Edwards) along with the lone four-star (Sheppard) combine to currently give Kentucky the second-best recruiting class for 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite.
UK trails only Duke.
Kentucky hasn’t had a top-rated recruiting class, according to 247Sports, since 2020.
Furthermore, Bradshaw’s commitment will give Kentucky an immediate replacement inside for Oscar Tshiebwe, should the reigning National Player of the Year depart Lexington after this season.
Kentucky set for the future around the rim
Everyone knows — and has seen in recent seasons — what Tshiebwe offers Kentucky on the court.
Bradshaw obviously won’t be a carbon copy, but the qualities he brings to the court are both distinct and impressive.
He’s been a defensive MVP on the Nike EYBL circuit, and is a growing offensive talent who has learned to share the floor — both in high school and travel ball play, with top 2023 recruit DJ Wagner.
Bradshaw also has a developing outside shot to go with his already elite rebounding and shot-blocking ability.
Thus far, mobility has also been evident from Bradshaw, who was named a third-team All-Peach Jam selection in July after putting up per-game averages of 11.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks for the New Jersey Scholars.
In fact, Bradshaw’s standout play in the spring and summer was a big reason why some thought he wouldn’t end up at Kentucky.
He previously visited Kentucky in June, with assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman leading UK’s recruiting efforts.
Bradshaw was thought to be committing to Kentucky over the summer, an expected choice that did not materialize at that point.
As time went on, the NBA G League Ignite was seen as Kentucky’s biggest opposition to landing Bradshaw.
Rob Cassidy, who covers recruiting nationally for Rivals, explained this perception to the Herald-Leader on Monday.
“Aaron got so much better this summer and took so many different steps, that maybe now he feels like he’s a little bit more prepared to play in the G League and to be a pro and to maybe be a year away from the NBA,” Cassidy said. “That’s kind of the pitch I think ... look at the progress that you made.”
Bradshaw previously said he was leaning more toward college basketball than the G League.
That’s now apparent, with Kentucky the winning choice.
How does this affect DJ Wagner to UK?
News in the recruiting world moves fast, especially when centered around a showcase recruiting event like Big Blue Madness.
With Kentucky’s fourth commitment in the 2023 class secured, it’s time to look at the player likely to soon become the fifth: DJ Wagner.
A high school and travel ball teammate of Bradshaw, Wagner is almost universally viewed as a future Wildcat.
The 6-3 combo guard, who is ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2023 by the 247Sports Composite, has not announced a timetable for his college decision.
On Monday, Cassidy, who covers recruiting nationally for Rivals, told the Herald-Leader that Kentucky remains the expected college choice for Wagner.
Since then, further signs have pointed toward Wagner ending up at UK.
On Monday afternoon, Nike signed five basketball players, including Wagner, to NIL endorsement deals.
UK is a Nike school. Louisville — viewed for plenty of reasons as UK’s main recruiting rival for Wagner — is an Adidas school.
Another storyline that’s been tracked is the desire, or potential lack thereof, for Bradshaw and Wagner to link up again at the college level.
What has Cassidy heard about this?
“I don’t think there’s this, like stalemate, where it’s like ‘If you commit I’m not going to.’ I mean that just sounds silly when you actually play it out in your head,” Cassidy said.
This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 8:30 PM.
