DJ Wagner commits to Kentucky, John Calipari

Camden (N.J.) High five-star combo guard Dajuan “DJ” Wagner Jr. has announced his commitment to Kentucky.

The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Wagner ultimately chose the ‘Cats over Louisville.

Kentucky now has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class. Wagner joins his summer ball and high school teammate five-star big man Aaron Bradshaw (No. 7), five-star wing Justin Edwards (No. 3), five-star guard Rob Dillingham (No. 8), and four-star guard Reed Sheppard (No. 27).

Wagner is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 1 combo guard and the No. 1 player in the state of New Jersey.

Wagner talks Kentucky

“Coach Cal is a great coach and that’s a great university,” Wagner said in a previous interview with On3. “They’ve had some great teams come through there.” 

“The atmosphere is crazy there like they really love basketball,” Wagner continued. “I went to Big Blue Madness, and it was crazy. It’s like Camden; it’s a basketball town out there. Their fans just love basketball.”

“I feel like it’s crazy, the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry,” DJ Wagner said. “That rivalry between Kentucky-Louisville in general, and just the history behind it, it’s a great rivalry.”

Scouting Summary

“DJ Wagner has been a big name since middle school. With that reputation also comes lofty expectations. What pops off the page immediately with Wagner is his competitiveness. His motor is always running hot, on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he wants the opposing team’s best player, and he picks them up full court. Offensively, Wagner plays a fearless game. He lacks top-end burst and his average length and size can make things tough for him at the rim, but he keeps coming. Wagner has seen every junk defense a team can throw at him, and he adjusts accordingly. The jump shot can get streaky, but he is a volume scorer. He has better court vision that he is given credit for. Is young for his grade and his competitive fire runs hot.“

On3’s Jamie Shaw, National Recruiting Analyst