Resetting expectations for DJ Wagner after Kentucky freshman, former 5-star prospect enters transfer portal

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A new entry to the red-hot college basketball transfer portal on Monday, DJ Wagner was one of the most decorated high school players in the national class of 2023. He was the first player to hold the No. 1 overall ranking and spent more time with that top spot than any other player in the class, despite finishing No. 6 overall in the final rankings.

Wagner was also the focus of arguably the class’ most notorious recruiting battle. Wagner was considered a virtual lock for Kentucky, given his family’s history with John Calipari, from the time he first debuted in high school. That all changed, though, when Louisville hired former Calipari lieutenant Kenny Payne, and he, in turn, added Wagner’s grandfather, Milt Wagner, to his coaching staff.

Some 23 years earlier, it was Calipari who hired Milt at Memphis as a mechanism to secure a commitment from Milt’s son, DaJuan Wagner. Now that same strategy was being used against Calipari to pull DJ, DaJuan’s son, away from what seemed like an inevitable Kentucky commitment. Of course, the plan never quite came to fruition, as Calipari and Kentucky prevailed, landing a commitment from Wagner while he was also awarded a NIL deal directly from Nike.

What was clear to all those who had followed Calipari over the years was that Wagner was going to have every opportunity to be successful while playing at Kentucky. Thus, it was not a surprise to see him starting and playing more minutes than fellow freshman guards Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, even as they clearly outplayed him.

As the season went on, though, and it became increasingly difficult to deny who was having the greater impact for the Wildcats, the dynamics began to shift. Sheppard was inserted into the starting lineup late in the season. Dillingham continued to come off the bench behind Wagner, but his minutes and usage both continued to rise.

Less than one month after the season came to an untimely…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/resetting-expectations-for-dj-wagner-after-kentucky-freshman-former-5-star-prospect-enters-transfer-portal/

Author : Adam Finkelstein

Publish date : 2024-04-15 17:38:10

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