The top-ranked high school basketball junior is on a visit to Kentucky
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Class of 2027 college basketball recruit CJ Rosser is taking a visit to Kentucky.
- Rosser is visiting UK for the Wildcats’ home game against Oklahoma.
- Rosser plays high school basketball at Southeastern Prep in Florida.
The top-ranked junior in high school basketball is taking a recruiting visit to Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
CJ Rosser, a 6-foot-10 power forward who is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2027 class according to the 247Sports Composite, is set to be at Rupp Arena on Wednesday night for UK’s home game against Oklahoma.
Rosser — who plays high school basketball at Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Florida — is taking his third visit of this college basketball season. He visited North Carolina in November and Louisville this past week.
247Sports has reported that Rosser has been at Duke and Florida State.
Rosser is one of seven players from the high school junior ranks with a Kentucky scholarship offer. Pope offered a scholarship to Rosser in May 2025. Rosser is one of three juniors at Southeastern Prep with a UK offer, along with point guard Beckham Black and center Obinna Ekezie Jr.
UK’s recruitment of Rosser is being led by Mikhail McLean, the fast-rising assistant coach who has become known for his work with forwards and centers during Pope’s tenure in Lexington.
It was McLean who took an international recruiting trip this past summer to watch Rosser win a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA Under-16 Men’s AmeriCup in Mexico. At that event, Rosser started six games and posted per-game averages of 13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks.
This past summer, the Herald-Leader spoke with Rosser at Peach Jam, a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League tournament in South Carolina that serves as a major summer recruiting showcase.
Rosser said he was staying in contact with Pope and the rest of UK’s coaching staff and that he enjoyed watching the way the Wildcats played during Pope’s first season as head coach.
“I really liked their play style a lot, that’s really how the game’s going,” Rosser said, specifically pointing out UK’s 2024 Champions Classic win over Duke as a standout moment.
During that conversation, Rosser added that his favorite NBA player is Ex-Cat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is currently the frontrunner to win his second straight league MVP award with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Rosser is also on the record as saying that his preferred playing style at the college level would be “fast-paced, pushing the ball, getting into pick-and-roll, five-out.”
While Rosser’s visit to Lexington represents a major moment in his recruitment, Kentucky fans are likely more focused on the Wildcats’ recruiting efforts with the 2026 class of prospects.
Kentucky has yet to secure a commitment from a recruit in the 2026 class. UK is one of only two programs in the SEC, along with Georgia, yet to land a commitment from a high school senior.
While Pope’s program is still in the recruiting conversation with five of the top 10 players in the 2026 class, UK isn’t viewed as the favorite for any of these players.
During his weekly radio show Monday night, Pope was asked about UK’s recruiting outlook for the 2026 class.
“I’m excited about recruiting for next year. I think we’re in play with some players that fit us, that I think could be really, really special here,” Pope said. “We’ll see how that goes. We’re in the process of recruiting our own players and recruiting players that are still available. Of course, this portal will be really important for us. But I’m excited about where we are right now.”
