NCAA Basketball: Impact of Kentucky landing 5-star big Aaron Bradshaw

When it comes to “true centers” in the 2023 NCAA Basketball recruiting class, one big man has remained in the top tier throughout the past few cycles. And it’s Aaron Bradshaw, a 7’0 center out of Roselle, New Jersey. He has everything a modern-day frontcourt player needs to succeed at the next level, with great measurables, inside and outside scoring skills, as well as the ability to defend the paint at a high level.

Bradshaw is a five-star prospect and consensus top-10 overall player in the 2023 class and a couple of weeks ago, had a top-5 list. It included two teams that were involved with him for a long time in Kentucky and Louisville, as well as USC and Texas, two programs with a great history of landing five-star talent.

Another option that was viable was the G League, which has had its ups and downs in the two years of its existence. At one point in Bradshaw’s recruitment, it was looking as if he was never going to play college ball. However, momentum quickly went one team’s way and on the night of “Big Blue Madness”, that program won out officially.

It’s yet another five-star commitment for head coach John Calipari and Kentucky, who now has the No. 2 overall class for 2023. He’s the heir apparent for National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, who likely will be around for just one more year.

There’s a lot that this means for the Wildcats in the future, as well as the four programs that missed out on Bradshaw. Here’s a look at the impact of this news on everyone involved.