Future UK Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw makes big jump in final basketball recruiting rankings
A seminal moment in the men’s college basketball recruiting landscape occurred this week, when Rivals released its finalized rankings for the 2023 recruiting class.
Kentucky’s top-ranked 2023 recruiting class officially features four players certified as five-star prospects by Rivals, and one player (Reed Sheppard) listed as a four-star recruit.
John Calipari and company have yet to land an impact player via the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, which means that, for now, the bulk of Kentucky’s aspirations for the 2023-24 season fall to the feet of top incoming recruits like Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner.
Here’s what you need to know about the final Rivals recruit rankings for 2023 — including a big leap by Bradshaw during the final evaluation window — and additional analysis about how each player is expected to fit in at UK.
Aaron Bradshaw makes big leap
Final Rivals ranking: No. 2.
Rivals ranking movement: Up three spots.
Notes: Bradshaw was the big gainer at the top of Rivals’ final rankings board, slotting in at the second spot and behind only USC point guard signee Isaiah Collier.
Bradshaw brings obvious length to the Kentucky frontcourt, and he’s made it clear he’s arriving in Lexington as a “four” despite his 7-foot-1 frame.
Bradshaw’s expanding offensive game should help in this pursuit, as he showcased an ability to score from the mid-range and even from beyond the three-point line as a high school senior at Camden (N.J.).
Analysis: Bradshaw’s blend of range and size is something that hasn’t been seen for a while at Kentucky, and he fits the modern direction the game is trending toward.
Of course, part of this will rely on John Calipari to take advantage of Bradshaw’s physical gifts, and to make sure the ultra-versatile big man is making himself useful in different ways.
The ceiling is there for Bradshaw, especially if Kentucky’s offense next season flows in a way conducive to highlighting his skills.
Embracing physicality and routinely being able to win battles around the rim are the progressions Bradshaw must make early in his college career.
What they’re saying: “(Calipari) told me I’ve got to stretch the floor, because I’m not like the old-time big,” Bradshaw said during McDonald’s All-American Game media day in late March. “I’m like the new-time big. I like to stretch the floor. I like to shoot, dribble, I like to do it all. He just told me (to) stay consistent and just ... be who you are.”
Justin Edwards remains a solid prospect
Final Rivals ranking: No. 3.
Rivals ranking movement: Up one spot.
Notes: Edwards has long been viewed as one of the most solid, high-floor prospects in the 2023 class.
A consistent winner at Imhotep Institute in Philadelphia, Edwards can take on a variety of different offensive roles from facilitator to scorer, and is able to create shots for himself basically whenever he wants.
The three-level scorer will need to find consistency at Kentucky, but he is penciled in for the “three” spot next season and has the size to represent a shift toward modern basketball for Kentucky.
Analysis: Simply having Justin Edwards in the blue-and-white of Kentucky is something UK fans shouldn’t lose appreciation for. Edwards was a Tennessee lean before John Calipari and company put on the full-court press in his recruitment, something he told the Herald-Leader last summer was a significant turning point in his decision-making process.
The smooth-shooting lefty thrives in the mid-range, and the high release on his shot helps the 6-7 Edwards score at a high clip against defenders. Edwards has also made the defensive side of his game a calling card.
What they’re saying: “He can score when needed, rebound, defend, and get downhill often,” Tony McNiff, a scouting analyst for MADE Hoops, told the Herald-Leader. “His versatility on the defensive end gives him the ability to defend the opposing teams’ best wings or forwards.”
DJ Wagner drops in final rankings
Final Rivals ranking: No. 6.
Rivals ranking movement: Down three spots.
Notes: Wagner had a turbulent end to his high school basketball career at Camden (N.J.) after being part of a benches-clearing incident that led to Camden being removed from the New Jersey state tournament.
But in tournament settings, and most notably during the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, Wagner took center stage with his ability to score in bunches.
Wagner has an unquestioned motor and the ability to shoulder a significant scoring load when asked.
Analysis: It’s remarkable to think Wagner — whose college recruitment was constant news in the commonwealth — ranks mid-pack among Kentucky’s 2023 freshman class.
That speaks both to moments of inconsistency shown by Wagner in recent months, and the overall quality that UK boasts in its 2023 class.
A significant chunk of Kentucky’s success next season will hinge on how Wagner and Robert Dillingham play with each other in the backcourt. Both players have significant experience playing with and without the ball, and the early-season feeling-out process will be fascinating to watch as the duo learns the intricacies of playing together.
What they’re saying: “His best attribute is his three level scoring ability. (He’s a) Bradley Beal-type in that sense and is extremely polished offensively compared to his peers,” Pro Insight Basketball senior analyst Tyler Glazier told the Herald-Leader. “(Wagner) does (his) best working off of screens with the ball.”
Robert Dillingham slides out of top 10
Final Rivals ranking: No. 14.
Rivals ranking movement: Down seven spots.
Notes: Robert Dillingham has been framed as the mystery man of this Kentucky recruiting class, in part due to the winding path he’s taken to arrive in Lexington.
Dillingham went from Combine Academy (North Carolina) to Donda Academy (California) to Overtime Elite (Atlanta) during his prep career. It took him a while to settle in at OTE, where his play didn’t match his talent level until the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.
Dillingham is as gifted a ball handler and as fast a player as exists in the 2023 class, but he’s also prone to defensive disengagement and can fade into the background of games if the ball isn’t regularly in his hands.
Analysis: As mentioned above, the duo of Dillingham and Wagner will dictate a lot about the success of next season’s Wildcats.
Dillingham has the passing tools to facilitate for others, but it also remains to be seen how much John Calipari will let Dillingham freelance within the confines of Kentucky’s offense.
There were times during the Overtime Elite season when Dillingham pressed on offense and forced bad shots, and also times when he was an electric scorer whose ability to keep the ball on a string made everything happen for his Cold Hearts team.
Dillingham’s size (6-1, 160 pounds) will benefit from a summer in UK’s strength and conditioning program.
What they’re saying: “I threw everybody on him. If you look at the tape, everybody guarded him from 6-9 to 6-1, and he still was able to be his shifty self and make shots, big shots,” Ryan Gomes, Dillingham’s head coach at Overtime Elite with the Cold Hearts, told the Herald-Leader about game-planning against Dillingham before he joined the league.
“You knew there was something about him.”
Reed Sheppard will be lone four-star freshman
Final Rivals ranking: No. 26.
Rivals ranking movement: Down four spots.
Notes: Those in the commonwealth have had a front-row seat to Reed Sheppard’s impressive all-around game for several years now. The only player in UK’s 2023 recruiting class who isn’t projected as a one-and-done player, Sheppard has an elite passing and play-making ability that he put to good use at North Laurel High School.
Sheppard backed up the hype with elite performances last season in national showcase events. This included a head-to-head matchup against Justin Edwards last December, and Sheppard was also effective while on the court during last month’s McDonald’s All-American Game.
Analysis: Despite being the lowest-ranked player in Kentucky’s 2023 recruiting class, Sheppard is expected to play meaningful minutes for the Wildcats next season.
Sheppard will be an active player at both ends of the court and has a quick-release shot that could prove advantageous in spot-up situations. His body control should also be an asset when driving to the rim and kicking out to corner shooters, which was a staple of the North Laurel offense when Sheppard was at the controls.
What they’re saying: “I think he’s continued to develop his game as you would expect, just from getting stronger. He’s gotten a lot stronger from last year,” North Laurel head coach Nate Valentine said of Sheppard prior to the Sweet 16 state tournament. “I think the biggest thing he’s done is he’s gotten more mentally strong, just being able to to handle it.”
Louisville has four players in final Rivals rankings
The final Rivals recruiting rankings for the 2023 class featured 150 boys’ basketball players from around the country.
The only player from Kentucky to make the rankings was Reed Sheppard.
Aside from UK, Louisville was the only other Kentucky-based school with incoming recruits represented on the list.
Head coach Kenny Payne and the Cardinals can count on the following incoming players for next season:
▪ Dennis Evans (center) at No. 13 in the Rivals rankings.
▪ Trentyn Flowers (small forward) at No. 24.
▪ Kaleb Glenn (small forward) at No. 70.
▪ Curtis Williams Jr. (small forward) at No. 71.
The Cardinals are also a strong contender to land another forward, Mackenzie Mgbako, who is ranked No. 8 in the final Rivals rankings. Mgbako is a former Duke signee who has ties to Louisville through former Duke assistant coach Nolan Smith, who now has the same role at Louisville.
