DJ Wagner will be a Kentucky Wildcat. What does this mean for UK basketball?
The long-awaited commitment of DJ Wagner for the Kentucky men’s basketball program on Monday has solidified UK’s 2023 recruiting class among the all-time greats.
Kentucky now has five commitments in the class of 2023, addressing every position on the court with a bevy of top-end talent.
In the backcourt, guards Robert Dillingham (No. 9 in the country according to the 247Sports Composite), Reed Sheppard (No. 29) and Wagner (No. 1) will be Wildcats.
In the front court, small forward Justin Edwards (No. 2) and center Aaron Bradshaw (No. 6) will also be coming to Lexington.
All five players have been announced by Kentucky as future Wildcats.
Bradshaw — who committed to Kentucky prior to Big Blue Madness on Oct. 14 — and Wagner are high school and travel ball teammates from Camden High School in New Jersey.
“I have known DJ his entire life and I’ve always wanted to coach him. Above all he is a competitor. He attacks the offensive end and is a versatile scorer, but he is equally as tough on defense,” UK head coach John Calipari said in a UK release announcing the five-player recruiting class. “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.”
Both Bradshaw and Wagner are expected to have a signing ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to NJ Advance Media.
The combined outcome from all of this is one of Calipari’s best-ever recruiting classes.
These five players — which include four five-stars (Bradshaw, Dillingham, Edwards and Wagner) along with one four-star (Sheppard) — comprise the best recruiting class for 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite.
This would give Kentucky its first top-rated recruiting class, according to 247Sports, since 2020.
Additionally, the 2023 class for UK is set to be among the best ever according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, which factors in five different recruiting services when producing its composite rankings: 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN, On3 and longtime recruiting analyst Van Coleman.
It also furthers an already strong recruiting pipeline between Kentucky and the tri-state area surrounding New York City.
Edwards will arrive at UK from Philadelphia. Both Bradshaw and Wagner play at Camden High School in New Jersey and for the New Jersey Scholars on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Calipari and the Cats also have their eyes on several class of 2024 recruits from that part of the country, specifically a trio of guards: Boogie Fland and Ian Jackson from New York City, and Tahaad Pettiford from New Jersey.
Of course, something else that can’t be discounted is UK’s ability to fend off in-state rival Louisville for Wagner’s commitment, especially with the U of L program in a time of transition.
What will Wagner bring to UK on the court?
There’s a reason why Wagner — listed by 247Sports as a 6-foot-3, 165-pound combo guard — is such a highly coveted college basketball recruit, and why he’s been ranked as the top player in the 2023 class for a significant part of his high school career.
A scorer at all three levels, Wagner has earned accolades at several prestigious levels of organized basketball.
Wagner has twice been named the Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year in New Jersey.
Last season, Wagner posted per-game averages of 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.1 steals for Camden as he and Bradshaw helped the school win its first state championship since 2000.
This summer brought a gold medal for Wagner with the United States at the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, an event that Calipari attended in person in Spain.
While Wagner had moments of shooting inefficiency last summer when playing on the Nike EYBL circuit, there is minimal concern about him making the leap to the college level.
“What differentiates him is his ability to create advantages with such ease (in pick-and-roll and isolation situations), and capitalize on them as a scorer and playmaker,” Pro Insight Basketball analyst Alex Brown told the Herald-Leader. “Overall, guards that excel as on-ball creators with his processing tend to excel at the college level.”
“His best attribute is his three-level scoring ability,” added Tyler Glazier, a senior analyst at Pro Insight Basketball. “(He) does best working off of screens with the ball. The shot has continued to progress to where it projects to be reliable at the college level.”
The principal concerns with Wagner relate to his shooting efficiency and the lack of an athleticism or size advantage at his position.
Brown noted the need for Wagner to be more consistent as a spot-up shooter.
Glazier addressed the athleticism concerns, saying Wagner’s offensive self-creation should work at the college level, but that Wagner is “not the quickest in isolation and may struggle getting past strong, quick college guards.”
Glazier also mentioned the size concerns, as Wagner will have to add strength to his frame.
But arriving at a school like Kentucky, surrounded by elite incoming talent and returning players alike, should help mask Wagner’s initial weaknesses.
The outside shooting offered by Antonio Reeves and CJ Fredrick — should they return to UK next season — would mitigate the need for Wagner to shoot at a high volume from deep.
And paired with a shifty point guard like Dillingham in the backcourt, Wagner shouldn’t have to bear the load of playing in isolation all the time.
Floor spacing should also be aided by Bradshaw’s developing outside shot and the emerging midrange game of Jacob Toppin, if he opts to return to the Cats next season.
A proven quality with Wagner that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is his ability to compete on both ends of the court and raise the level of play around him, something that was on display during the Nike EYBL’s stop in Louisville in May.
“Defensively he is active and engaged, puts pressure on handlers and generates events at a really high level despite him carrying a large offensive load,” Brown said.
Is Kentucky done recruiting in the 2023 class?
Yes.
All players currently in the class of 2023 with a Kentucky scholarship offer are committed to a college or professional pathway.
Things can change: For example, Dillingham was previously a North Carolina State commit before backing away from that pledge and signing with UK.
But with five high-level freshmen already set to join the program — along with the presence of the NCAA transfer portal to add players with previous college experience — it’s expected that Wagner’s commitment will mark the end of UK’s involvement in the 2023 high school class.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 3:13 PM.
