Kentucky announces addition of Isaac DeGregorio

The Kentucky Wildcats have officially added Isaac DeGregorio as a preferred walk-on to the men’s basketball team.

“Joining Kentucky basketball is a dream come true,” DeGregorio said in a press release. “I’ve been a Kentucky fan all my life and to join the team is surreal. The opportunity to be around the best players and coaches in the nation is something I just couldn’t pass up. I’m looking forward to getting to Lexington and getting in the gym with my teammates. My dream is to become a college basketball coach and there is no better way to prepare for that than being around the best.”

A 5-11 shooting guard out Pennsylvania, DeGregorio played at North Catholic High School, where he totaled 1,563 career points, 440 assists and made 283 triples at a 40% rate.

This past season, DeGregorio averaged 17.9 points per game and led his high school to a 26-2 record and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class 3A championship. In the WPIAL championship, he scored 19 points and made all 10 of his free throws.

After that, DeGregorio was leading North Catholic through the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association 3A state tournament before COVID-19 suspended play in the quarterfinals round. He posted scoring totals of 33 and 25 in two games.

Isaac’s grandfather, Joe DeGregorio, was John Calipari’s college coach at Clarion during the 1981 and 1982 seasons.

“Isaac is a terrific basketball player who led his team to the regional WPIAL championship,” Calipari said. “They had a real chance to win state. Isaac had a strong year and has a tremendous basketball IQ to go along with a great skillset, neither of which should be a surprise with the basketball family he comes from. I played for his grandfather in college and over the years got to know his father, who is a terrific coach in his own right. Isaac will be a great addition to what we do here, and I look forward to him being a part of this program.”

Welcome to Lexington!