UK visits VJ Edgecombe and Alier Maluk

With less than two weeks until Big Blue Madness, the start of the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball season is just around the corner. Ahead of a season with a lot of pressure, John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcat staff were busy on the recruiting trail in New York to start the week.

The week started off with taking a visit to see 2024 combo guard Boogie Fland. This being the fourth in-person visit to Fland over the last three weeks, it is clear that he is a top priority for the Cats, and that is reciprocated as Fland listed the Wildcats in his top three last week, along with the Alabama Crimson Tide and Indiana Hoosiers. Fland is expected to make a decision in the early signing period, which begins on November 8th.

With that said, coverage of Fland’s recruitment has been well-reported, but while in New York, Calipari paid a visit to two more top recruits, VJ Edgecombe and Alier Maluk, who both play for Long Island Lutheran (NY).

VJ Edgecombe

Edgecombe is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2024 class. As of March this year, he was ranked outside of the Top 100, fast-forward to now, and he is a consensus top-10 prospect and considered to be the No. 2 shooting guard in the class.

When you see his explosive athleticism, catch-and-shoot ability, and natural basketball instincts, it’s easy to see why.

Watching closely for a while, the Wildcats extended an offer last month, a month and a half after Edgecombe trimmed his list to ten. While late to the party, Kentucky is not giving up and joins the likes of Alabama, Duke, St. Johns, and G-League Ignite, among others, in pursuit of the talented guard.

Alier Maluk

Early this summer, 2025 center Alier Maluk was considered a top-25 prospect, but following the grassroots season, Maluk dropped in the rankings to just inside the top 50. That said, it isn’t stopping the Wildcats from still showing interest as they have since he was 15 years old, and for good reason, Maluk is one of the most intriguing big men in the class.

At 6-foot-10, 180 pounds, Maluk is a dynamic two-way prospect and can be looked at as a “modern” big man. Well-known for his shot-blocking and rim-running ability, Maluk is also capable of shooting off the catch and the dribble.

However, his handle needs some development as he hopes to continue to develop as a stretch-four. That said, height and skill run in the family as Maluk is the cousin of 7-foot-2 center Bol Bol, who currently plays in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.

It should be noted that Kentucky has yet to extend an offer to Maluk, who currently holds offers from Florida, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others.

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