Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: UK recruits DJ Jeffries, Jalen Lecque earn praise at Nike EYBL

Kentucky target Jalen Lecque and Kentucky commit D.J. Jeffries are earning high praise on the Nike EYBL circuit, as Rivals recruiting expert Corey Evans addressed the strengths of each of them after seeing them play in Hampton, Virginia.

For Jeffries, a 2019 four-star recruit who’s already committed to Kentucky, Evans praised his versatility.

Back in 2006, John Calipari led his Memphis squad to the Elite Eight off of the back of Rodney Carney. Twelve years later, the now acting head coach at Kentucky may have his next long, versatile, athletic and rather skilled jumbo wing in DJ Jeffries. A top-50 small forward prospect in the 2019 class, Jeffries is the embodiment of versatile. He was absolutely sensational on Saturday morning, scoring 23 points while tossing in a handful of assists and rebounds.

247 Sports ranks Jeffries as the No. 36 player in his class. The 6-7 small forward committed to Kentucky on March 12, and is part of the reason why Kentucky is the early front runner in the race for the top 2019 recruiting class.

For Lecque, Evans labeled him the “HUMAN POGO STICK“ of the event.

It was another New York native that wowed the NBA masses at the combine a year ago and while Hamidou Diallo may be a bit taller, the athleticism in Jalen Lecque remains just the same. A human pogo stick comes to mind immediately when tasked to describe the New York Rens product as he attempted to throw down some of the more impressive finishes on Saturday that, if caught on film, will rack up a six figure hits on YouTube. While his jump shot remains a work in progress as he is more of a drive first producer, Lecque is still a two-way threat that does not lack for toughness or instincts. A potential reclassification could take place but either way, Lecque remains the best of the best when speaking on the athleticism tangible.

The comparison to Hamidou Diallo makes this more interesting, and it certainly isn’t unwarranted. A look at Lecque’s highlight reel (below) will tell you all you need to know about his ability to jump right out of the gym.

The 6-4 combo guard from Arden, North Carolina, is a five-star recruit. 247 Sports has him ranked as the No. 11 player in the class of 2019. Reclassification isn’t off the table, but if he does move to 2018 it hurts Kentucky’s chances.

The Oregon Ducks and North Carolina Tar Heels are currently the 247 Crystal Ball favorites to land Lecque, but the Tennessee Volunteers and North Carolina State Wolfpack are coming on strong.

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