The Kentucky Wildcats don’t have many targets in terms of big men for 2018, but a new name could be emerging.
According to Cats Pause, UK has inquired about four-star center Bryan Penn-Johnson. This is the first time that Penn-Johnson has been mentioned as a possible UK target in what’s become a thin class for big men.
Outside of Bol Bol and Marvin Bagley, no other bigs in 2018 have been offered by John Calipari. Perhaps Penn-Johnson could be a darkhorse for an offer at some point, depending on how confident Calipari is with Bol and Bagley.
A 7-0, 215-pound center out of Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant (UT), Penn-Johnson is ranked 40th overall and third among centers in the 247 Class of 2018 rankings.
He holds offers from Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Cal, Washington, Florida State, LSU, Kansas, West Virginia, Wichita State and UCLA among others. That offer sheet suggests Penn-Johnson is a good talent, perhaps enough that UK and other big programs will eventually offer.
You can’t teach 7-feet, and for a big man, Penn-Johnson has some pretty nice skills, though he looks like a raw, multi-year player. Can Kentucky fit a guy like that into a class that’s already expected to be smaller?
With just 4-5 spots likely open for next year, Penn-Johnson may be someone who has to wait for several more months before Calipari offers.
Penn-Johnson did tell Rivals’ Corey Evans that a decision could come around Christmas, but that could certainly change if UK gets in the mix.