J.J. Taylor offered by Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats have extended a scholarship offer to five-star wing Javonte “J.J.” Taylor, one of the top players in the 2023 class. Recruiting analyst Scott Burgess broke the news first.

Taylor, a 6-8, 185-pound wing from Kenwood Academy in Illinois, is ranked No. 7 overall by 247 Sports Composite in addition to being the second-best small forward. He holds additional offers from Texas, Michigan State and Illinois among others. That offer list will be growing significantly soon, as today is the first day college coaches can call 2023 recruits.

It’s rare for Kentucky to offer recruits who are two classes away from being on a college campus, but there’s no question Taylor has incredible talent and the potential to be a star in what will likely be just one season of college hoops, if any at all as the G-League continues to poach top high school recruits.

One big factor working in Kentucky’s favor is Taylor’s relationship with new assistant Chin Coleman, as Kentucky Sports Radio’s Zack Geoghegan writes.

Get ready to hear more and more of “this player holds an Illinois offer from when Ron ‘Chin’ Coleman was on the Fighting Illini staff” because it’s going to be relevant for the next couple of recruiting classes. Coleman has been on Taylor long before any other college coach. Taylor told KSR down at the Pangos Camp that Coleman was the very first college coach to reach out to him, all the way back when Taylor was in eighth grade–the first year he started playing basketball.

So while it’s very early in this recruitment, it sounds like Kentucky is going to be a major player with Taylor. By the time he’s ready to graduate high school, the NIL situation in college athletics should be sorted out. Hopefully, that ends up helping sway guys like Taylor to pick school over the pros.

Now, check out some highlights of Taylor in action.

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