Kentucky showing interest in Jalen Hooks

John Calipari and his staff have been working hard on the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes as they look to bring in more No. 1 overall classes like we saw in 2020.

However, now we have a name to keep an eye on in the 2023 class.

Jalen Hooks is currently ranked as the No. 40 overall player and the No. 8 overall small forward according to 247 Sports. Brian Snow of 247 Sports gave an intro to Hooks and noted the schools that had been in contact.

Hooks has already been offered by Xavier, DePaul, and IUPUI but Hooks has been in contact with some other power teams including the Kentucky Wildcats.

“I pretty much introduce myself to a different coaching staff every day. I have had contact with Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, all of the schools around Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, a few times, and a few more programs as well.”

So far, most coaches haven’t had the chance to see him play in person, but he noted it was an honor to have recruiting interest already.

“It feels good to have offers already,” said Hooks. “Since I first got into basketball my goal was to play at the next level, and for that to be coming true at this age is great.”

Despite the lack of watching him in person, coaches have told Hooks what they like about what he brings to the floor.

“The coaches tell me that they hear from people they trust and can see on film that I can be a leader and how versatile I am,” said Hooks. “Coaches like how I handle the ball for my size and how I can guard all over the court.”

Heading into his sophomore season, Hooks could see his stock on the rise of he shows he can be a primary ball handler as well as being the primary scorer for his team.

It isn’t clear how interested Kentucky is in Hooks, but he will be someone to keep an eye on this season to see if his ranking is on the rise and if Kentucky becomes a real player in this recruitment.

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