4-star Shelton Henderson in regular talks with Kentucky assistant Alvin Brooks
As the new Kentucky men’s basketball coaching staff continues to settle in, they continue to identify their top high school targets. A name that recently surfaced was class of 2025 four-star wing Shelton Henderson out of Houston, TX.
Henderson is being recruited to Kentucky by assistant coach Alvin Brooks III, who was also recruiting the 6-foot-6 wing when he was an assistant at Baylor under Scott Drew. As Brooks assimilates with the Wildcats, Henderson remains on the radar.
“I talk to him a lot,” Henderson told KSR on Friday about Brooks. “He’s come to my school, had a good one-on-one conversation with him, and talked about what he sees in me and how I can help whatever program he’s at.
“He just introduced me to (Kentucky), what they’re trying to build, what they’re working on down there. I’ve been really enjoying it.“
During the third session of the Nike EYBL circuit up in Indianapolis, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope was in attendance (Brooks is out recruiting in Kansas) to watch Henderson and JL3 take on Boo Williams. JL3 came up just short, 69-67, but Henderson put on a show in front of Pope. He finished with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal on 8-17 shooting.
With plenty of size at 210 pounds, Henderson can bully his way into points with ease. He’s able to get downhill, lives in the paint, and is a quietly good playmaker. The outside shooting needs some work, but there’s a good reason why he’s ranked No. 49 overall by the On3 Industry Ranking.
Kentucky is hardly the only high-major program with interest, either. Henderson says that the likes of Houston, LSU, Louisville, and Texas have all been recruiting him the hardest. He expects to take official visits to all four in the future, although no dates have been scheduled just yet.
Houston: “That’s a hometown school, right down the street from me. They’ve been to my school almost every week, 2-3 times a week. I really love the coaching staff. They see a lot in me and they see how I can develop and get me to where I want to go.”
Texas: “I love Coach (Rodney) Terry. Since he’s been there, he’s made a huge impact. I love his coaching style and just the way he allows his players to play and play fast.”
Louisville: “He just hit me up (head coach Pat Kelsey), him and Coach (Ronnie) Hamilton. They’ve been on me. I talked to them recently. They should be down here tomorrow to watch me play. I love what they’re building down there really.”
LSU: “Coach (Matt) McMahon. They’ve been on me a lot recently, since I was a freshman. I’ve been down there for a visit, I love the environment, the way they play, the fast pace, and just the way they guard and play hard really.”
Henderson added that Arkansas, Oklahoma, Southern California, and Kentucky are among the schools also in frequent contact. His recruitment will begin to pick up speed after Peach Jam wraps up in July.
“I haven’t really cut down any schools yet,” Henderson said. “But pretty soon I think I’ll start and then start really cutting down after Peach Jam.”
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