LEXINGTON, Ky. — The best way to sum up Aaron Bradshaw’s potential as a basketball player?
The 7-footer from New Jersey is now ranked No. 8 nationally in his class by Rivals.com and No. 6 nationally in his class by the 247Sports Composite.
Yes, but that’s not the impressive part. The impressive part is that he’s risen to that level while playing relatively little organized basketball to this point.
Bradshaw, who announced his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday night prior to Big Blue Madness, didn’t play at all as a high school freshman.
His sophomore season — as well as the 2020 grassroots campaign that was supposed to precede it — derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, his first prolonged action on the court — and the first time college coaches really got a look at what he could do — came in summer 2021 with the New Jersey Scholars on the Nike circuit. Even then, he was playing against older, stronger players, but he still caught those coaches’ attention.
As his junior season at Camden High School progressed, Bradshaw went from a curiosity to one of the most coveted big men in the country.
He helped lead Camden to a state title. He emerged as perhaps the best post player in the 2023 class. And it seems he’s barely scratched the surface.
“That’s why everybody loves him so much,” Rivals.com national analyst Rob Cassidy told the Herald-Leader. “And that’s part of the reason we have him ranked so high — because of the upside. It’s crazy to see the things that he does and to think that maybe he’s not polished yet. That maybe he’s going to become a better shooter. That maybe he’s going to become more aggressive with the ball in his hands.
“Because he does move the way he moves at 7 feet tall. And he runs the floor like a gazelle. And he catches the ball in the post. There’s no area where you’re like, ‘He’s really bad at this.’ He’s a pretty well-rounded prospect.”
A year from now, he’ll be on Kentucky’s campus for good.
Bradshaw picked the Wildcats on Friday night from a final list that included Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma State, UCLA and the NBA’s G League, with the pro pathway considered UK’s strongest opponent to land Bradshaw.
He joins a Kentucky recruiting class that already features star guards Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, along with top-ranked small forward Justin Edwards.
There will be speculation over whether his commitment will help UK with high school and Nike league teammate DJ Wagner, long ranked as the No. 1 player in the 2023 class and the subject of an intense Kentucky-Louisville recruiting battle.
Most recruiting analysts feel comfortable projecting Wagner to Kentucky as a near certainty, and even earlier this week, Cassidy told the Herald-Leader that a Wagner commitment was more likely than a Bradshaw one for the Cats.
But for now, UK fans can take solace in landing an elite big man that should patrol the interior of the court for Kentucky in a potential post-Oscar Tshiebwe world.
“The thing that’s been really nice about Bradshaw is that every time you see him, he seems to get a little bit better,” Cassidy said. “So the trajectory is there. And you can see it. It’s not like some other guys where you’ll go and watch him and sometimes he’ll play like No. 1, but sometimes he plays like No. 301.
“Bradshaw is always going to do the things you expect him to do, and he seems to add something to his game every time you see him.”
Bradshaw breaks out
Bradshaw — along with Wagner and others — helped lead Camden to a New Jersey state championship in March, with the entire Kentucky coaching staff showing up for the title game.
A few weeks later, John Calipari and the UK coaches were courtside again for the New Jersey Scholars’ debut on the Nike travel circuit. They’d been tracking Wagner for years, obviously, but in that time Bradshaw had clearly caught their eye.
On the day that first April recruiting session ended, Bradshaw earned a Kentucky scholarship offer.
He was also named the defensive MVP of the first Nike stop — a feat he repeated the following month at the third Nike spring session in Louisville — and he’s spent the past several months cementing himself as one of the nation’s top frontcourt prospects.
Now that he’s consistently on the court, Bradshaw is showing the basketball recruiting world what he can do.
“He’s affecting the game on both sides of the ball,” Scholars head coach Jason Harrigan told the Herald-Leader. “Blocking a lot of shots. Rebounding the ball. Finishing around the rim. He scores the ball well. His game is really blossoming. He’s really continuing to develop, and his game is growing more and more every time he gets out there.”
One knock on Bradshaw’s game in the past has been his tendency to take plays off. To a degree, that’s understandable, especially on the offensive end, since he’s often sharing the court with the dynamic Wagner as well as Duke commitment Mackenzie Mgbako, a similarly electric player ranked No. 3 overall in the 2023 class.
When Bradshaw does go all out, however, his motor is hard to match. That was on display much more this spring and summer.
In a high-profile game at the Nike stop in Louisville — a matchup pitting Wagner vs. Bronny James — it was Bradshaw who stole the show, going for 21 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, two steals and making key plays down the stretch — on both sides of the court — in the Scholars’ victory.
“He’s shown this spring that — when he plays with a motor — he can put up big numbers,” 247Sports analyst Travis Branham told the Herald-Leader at the time. “We’re talking about a 7-footer with skill. Really good touch. He can block shots at the rim. He rebounds. He can stretch the floor, run the floor. There are just not many guys with his size and mobility that are able to impact the game like he does. Lot of upside, lot of talent there.”
One key to this recent spark, Bradshaw’s coach says, is a growing confidence. He’s added some muscle to his long, thin frame, and that’s led him to play a little more fearless in the paint. He’s also clearly picking up some of the competitiveness that often oozes from highly ranked teammates like Wagner and Mgbako.
“We step on the court — regardless of who’s there, who’s hurt, or whatever the situation might be — that expectation level is high,” Harrigan said. “I think that helps, just to make sure that winning is first and foremost. And I see him competing at a high level every time he steps out there. So I think it’s been a blessing for him to play with those guys, because that competitive spirit is now ingrained in him. He’s not out there trying to chase stats. He’s trying to do whatever he can to affect the game and help his team win.
“When he has confidence, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s a big-time player.”
What’s next for Bradshaw?
Bradshaw will continue to work on adding muscle — he was listed at 7-1 and 215 pounds at this year’s NBPA Top 100 Camp — and a major focus on the court will be on honing his shooting skills.
Bradshaw has shown he’s not afraid to step out to 15 feet or beyond and put up shots. And, for what little experience he has out there, his stroke looks pretty good.
“I want him to continue to shine, so I want to give him more opportunities to score the ball,” Harrigan said. “Not just be a rebounder, defender and finisher — I want him to showcase his shooting ability and passing ability. So we actually run a lot of offense through him, and he’s shown that he can do a lot of different things on the court.”
Branham and Cassidy both said over the summer that Bradshaw’s production as a college freshman will depend greatly on being able to play with a sustained motor and his continued efforts to add strength in the post.
Exactly how Calipari plays him could still change. He has room to grow offensively, especially if he’s able to show some consistency with that jump shot. He has tremendous potential as a defender, with already-impressive shot-blocking skills. The next step there will be effectively defending opponents away from the basket and showing more general awareness to go along with his length and natural instincts.
“He moves incredibly well for a 7-footer,” Cassidy said. “So the upside is there. He has great hands. Everything that you want him to do — as far as projecting toward being a pro one day — is there. All of the God-given things are there. The foundation is laid.”
Just about everyone who’s closely followed Bradshaw in recent months seems to think everything in his game will click into place eventually. That might happen next season at Kentucky. It might happen later in his college career. He might not even begin to realize that massive potential until he gets to the NBA.
Whenever it happens, a special player is bound to emerge.
“I’ve seen a lot of versatile bigs go through Kentucky, and they ended up going on to the next level,” Harrigan said. “I know Coach Cal does a great job with those guys and showcases them, puts them in some great spots and gives them an opportunity to flourish. So I’m hoping that he would be the next on that long list of versatile bigs that came through Kentucky and did some great things — not only at Kentucky, but at the next level.”
