Meet the first class of 2028 recruit to earn a Kentucky basketball offer
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky basketball has only extended two scholarship offers to class of 2028 recruits.
- The first 2028 prospect to earn a UK scholarship offer was center Yann Kamagate.
- Kamagate is a 7-foot center who is originally from Burkina Faso in Africa.
Kentucky basketball is slowly beginning to establish its recruiting priorities with the rising high school junior class.
So far, Mark Pope’s UK program has only extended scholarship offers to two players from the 2028 recruiting class, both of whom are centers. Yann Kamagate and Erick Dampier Jr. are the lone 2028 prospects with Kentucky offers in their possession.
Kamagate was the first one to earn a UK offer, which he reported May 18. A 7-foot-1 center originally from Burkina Faso in Africa, Kamagate is already considered an elite big man. The recently updated 247Sports recruiting rankings ranked Kamagate — who plays prep basketball in Southern California — as the No. 2 overall recruit and the top center in the 2028 class. This lofty standing comes after Kamagate was unranked as a recruit only a few months ago.
It’s already been a meteoric rise up the recruiting rankings for Kamagate, who missed his sophomore high school season due to injury after moving to the United States.
“I was just working, getting ready for the next season, because next season is going to be crazy. I’m getting on that,” Kamagate told the Herald-Leader last month at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Specifically, Kamagate intends to move one spot higher in the rankings.
“I’m going to be the number 1 player, y’all are going to see,” Kamagate said. “I’m getting on that.”
Kentucky had five different coaches, including Pope, at the NBPA Top 100 Camp to watch prospects like Kamagate in action.
Kamagate was named a first-team all-camp selection, an extension of the productive spring and summer he’s had on the Adidas travel basketball circuit. Kamagate plays for the Compton Magic and is averaging 13.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game in two sessions of action.
Kamagate’s strong performances with the Compton Magic during the May evaluation period led to a boost in his national recruiting profile and an increase in college interest. This also led to his UK scholarship offer, as Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean scouted him during the May evaluation period.
“My post ups, my dribbling, my handle, my shooting,” Kamagate said when asked about his current areas of focus. “Basically everything.”
Kamagate also stressed that he is a high-energy player who contributes to all aspects of the game on defense and offense. Kamagate emphasized the lob threat he provides on the offensive end.
While Kamagate is playing up a class with Compton Magic’s 17-and-under team, he’s older compared to his peers in the 2028 recruiting group. Kamagate will turn 18 years old this fall and is considered to be a potential candidate to reclassify and move into the 2027 recruiting group.
Kamagate said he has studied current NBA star Kevin Durant and Naismith Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon when looking to improve his on-court game.
There’s also a former NBA and college standout in Kamagate’s corner. 247Sports has reported that Kamagate’s guardian is Luc Mbah a Moute, who played on three Final Four teams at UCLA and in nearly 700 NBA games. Mbah a Moute is now a basketball player agent who focuses on players from Africa, and he is representing Kamagate.
Things have recently gotten more intense for Kamagate on the recruiting front. Since June 15, college coaches have been allowed to directly contact prospects from the 2028 recruiting class.
“I’m not worried about this. I’m not worried about it. I’m just going to chill,” Kamagate said. “Because I already have a lot of offers. I’m just going to keep working on my game. I’m not worried about the college coaches. I know they’re going to come, but I’m just going to keep working on my game.”
Kamagate has yet to take any visits as part of his recruitment.
