NCAA Basketball: Pros and cons of Kentucky and Louisville for 5-star DJ Wagner

Why DJ Wagner should go to Kentucky

It feels kind of weird to talk about why players should consider Kentucky. No program shines a brighter light on players and their pro prospects than the Wildcats, who have over a billion dollars in NBA contracts to sell players. And while the program did have that embarrassing Round of 64 loss to Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament and missed the event altogether in the year prior, Kentucky still is a perennially ranked program in the regular-season and threat to make a deep run in March.

From a roster perspective, Wagner could be joining the No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2023. The team already has commitments from Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard in the backcourt and is reportedly in the mix for five-star forwards, Ron Holland, Justin Edwards, and center Aaron Bradshaw. If all of that were to happen then that would be the most hyped incoming freshmen class since the Zion Williamson/RJ Barrett/Cam Reddish trio for Duke a few years ago.

All of that talent would simply make Wagner’s life easier when it comes to playmaking and force opposing staffs not to focus solely on stopping him. Plus, having Dillingham in the backcourt allows him to play off-the-ball a little and show that he can shoot. I mentioned earlier that he’s likely best as a point guard but Coach Calipari does have a history of playing two ball-handlers on the court together with little issue.

Between Louisville and Kentucky, there’s a big difference in roster talent and who could make a bigger run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, If winning plays a big part in this decision, the Wildcats should win out.