UK Basketball Recruiting: Jamal Mashburn Jr. wants to be recruited by Wildcats

Many people believe that the commitment of Jamal Mashburn to play basketball for Rick Pitino and the Kentucky Wildcats was a transformative moment in the history of UK basketball.

I agree on that point.

Before Mashburn, Pitino didn’t have players considered to be elite college basketball players. Once Monster Mash committed, Kentucky basketball was back on the map and it started a historic run in the nineties.

While Mashburn has been long retired from the NBA, he still has a presence in basketball. His ties to Kentucky are still strong and now he has a blue chip son that wants to follow in his footsteps.

Jamal Mashburn, Jr. is a 6’2 guard that calls Miami, Florida home. According to 24/7, he’s a four-star combo guard ranked 67th in his class. He has offers from Louisville (he was originally recruited by Pitino), Miami, and Florida.

He has yet to receive an offer from Kentucky but he really wants one.

“One of my goals is to play with the best in the nation,” he told the Herald-Leader. “Because, obviously, I want to be a pro. I want to hear from Duke, Kentucky, all the big name schools.”

Notice that he’s leaving his options open and it’s no guarantee that once (and if) from Kentucky that he’s going to go.

How good is Mashburn, Jr.? According to the above linked article from the LHL, he averaged 27.4 points this past season. He’s a scorer and is a very different player compared to his famous father.

As you can see from this video, the kid has skills and can light up the scoreboard.

Is Mashburn, Jr. good enough for a Kentucky offer?

Most definitely. And I hope he eventually gets one because it would be awesome to see him in blue.