Kentucky basketball recruiting in the 2022 class: What to know

With the 2021 recruiting cycle wrapping up, we can now start really looking ahead to the Kentucky Wildcats’ recruiting efforts in 2022.

Thus far, five-star guard Skyy Clark is the only pledge for Kentucky, but there could be more additions in the coming months now that COVID-19 is subsiding, campus visits are heating up, and summer AAU events start to pick back up.

Currently, the No. 1 player in the class is Emoni Bates, though he’s widely expected to play professionally for one year instate of college ball before likely being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Other Class of 2022 recruits with scholarship offers from Kentucky include five-star guard Jaden Bradley, five-star center Jalen Duren, and four-star guard Shaedon Sharpe.

Some strong candidates to eventually score an offer from John Calipari include five-star guard Cason Wallace, five-star forward Dariq Whitehead, four-star guard Nick Smith, and five-star forward Sadraque Nganga.

Oh, and Clark is set to play at Montverde Academy (FL) alongside Duren, Whitehead and other big-time recruits, so that will be a development to watch unfold next season.

This will also be the first class we get to see new assistants Orlando Antigua and Ron “Chin” Coleman make their mark on after joining Calipari’s staff this offseason. Antigua was a force on the recruiting trail during his first stint in Lexington, and Coleman is also expected to enhance Kentucky’s recruiting efforts going forward.

Use this stream to keep track of Kentucky’s recruiting efforts in the Class of 2022.