DJ Wagner, Reed Sheppard detail potential impact of Aaron Bradshaw

Aaron Bradshaw arrived in Lexington as one of the most-coveted recruits in this year’s freshman class at Kentucky. He is also now its biggest mystery due to a foot injury that will likely keep him sidelined until closer to the start of the college basketball season.

Still, once healthy, the Wildcats expect his presence to be felt immediately on the court considering they currently feel it off of the floor. Both Reed Sheppard and DJ Wagner made that point about Bradshaw while speaking to media ahead of the Wildcat’s trip to play in the GLOBL JAM next week.

“Aaron’s a great dude, off the court and on the court. He brings a different type of energy. He’s going to play his hardest every game and bring everything that he has,” Sheppard said. “A great shot blocker. He can just make plays. He’s really good at just bringing energy and being a goofy guy.”

Wagner, Bradshaw’s teammate at Camden High School in New Jersey, echoed similar sentiments about the seven footer considering what he bring to the table as a talented player and as an overall teammate himself.

“He’s gonna have a great impact. Just (with) how good of a great player he is and a great teammate he is. He’s still making an impact,” Wagner said. “He’s being a great teammate and supporting all of us. So we’re definitely excited for him to come back.”

“Just the type of player he is. Just opening up the floor and stuff like that for us. Most definitely. Because he’s a great player. So everybody who’s on the court is a threat. All of us,” said Wagner. “That’s how I see it. Just opening up the floor, just making the game a lot easier for all of us.”

Bradshaw is Kentucky’s second-highest rated recruit coming out of the 2023 class behind only Justin Edwards. As a prospect, he’s a five-star and the No. 4 player in On3’s Industry Ranking. That’s on top of being the No. 1 center and best player out of New Jersey.

Even so, a reported foot fracture will sideline him for UK’s trip to Toronto and for the foreseeable future of the offseason. With that said, Bradshaw himself said that he will be back for anyone knows it while John Calipari is pleased with his efforts toward getting healthy by the time the season tips off.

Kentucky fans are a little shaken about the whole thing considering mysterious injuries that have burned them in the past. However, no one believes that that’s going to be the case with Bradshaw, especially considering their glowing remarks from Sheppard and Wagner.