The Kentucky Wildcats have secured the commitment of the No. 1 ranked basketball recruit in the class of 2023.
Camden (N.J.) combo guard DJ Wagner announced he’ll play for Kentucky in college.
BREAKING: Camden basketball star, No. 1 recruit DJ Wagner has committed to Kentucky.https://t.co/avIVMkAmMx
— Josh Friedman (@JFriedman57) November 14, 2022
Wagner (6-foot-3, 165 pounds) is the consensus top overall player at his position in New Jersey and the nation. He chose Kentucky over five other offers: Memphis, Louisville, Syracuse, Temple and Penn State. Wagner had connections with the Wildcats, including John Calipari coaching his father Dajuan back in the day at Memphis.
Asked about his decision, Wagner credited the Wildcats’ atmosphere, per On3.
“They’ve had some great teams come through there. The atmosphere is crazy there like they really love basketball… I went to Big Blue Madness, and it was crazy. It’s like Camden; it’s a basketball town out there. Their fans just love basketball.”
247 Sports’ Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein’s report on Wagner is that he’s a ferocious competitor, plus an aggressive and explosive scorer who can create his own shot anywhere on the court. Last season Wagner averaged 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists, leading his team to a state title.
Wagner joins an already-loaded class with the country’s third and fourth-ranked recruits. And his commitment boosts Kentucky enough to surpass the Duke Blue Devils in the 2023 recruiting rankings.
The Wildcats are now No. 1.
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