DJ Wagner understands expectation as highly-touted recruit at Kentucky

The expectations for Kentucky guard DJ Wagner are high heading into his freshman campaign. The reasons why are a combination of factors.

For one, he is playing for one of the most historic and passionate programs in college basketball. He’s a third-generation basketball star with a pedigree unlike few others in the sport. He’s one of the best recruits in the 2023 cycle, and has been for years now.

It all adds up to a highly-anticipated debut coming in November and then season to follow for the Wildcats. But Wagner said that he isn’t feeling the pressure of those expectations as the team prepares to head to Canada to play in GLOBL JAM.

“I’m excited,” Wagner said. “We all excited. Everybody coming in, everybody on the team, we all excited for the season. I wouldn’t really say meeting certain expectations we just excited to get out there and play.”

Wagner was the No. 7 overall recruit in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The combo guard has already faced the pressure to live up to expectations at the high school level. Wagner attended Camden (N.J.) High, which is also where his father Dajuan Wagner and his grandfather Milt Wagner went to school.

Both his father and grandfather are considered basketball royalty and won state championships at Camden. But DJ Wagner lived up to the pressure and led the school — along with his Kentucky teammate and fellow five-star recruit Aaron Bradshaw — to its first state title in two decades in 2022.

When DJ Wagner was named to the McDonalds All-American Game this year, the family became the first one in history to have three generations be named to the game.

Dajuan Wagner and Milt Wagner aren’t just high school legends. They had success at the college and pro levels. Milt Wagner, currently on the staff at Louisville, won the 1986 NCAA title with the Cardinals and the 1988 NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakes.

DJ Wagner’s father was freshman phenom at Memphis for John Calipari before being selected sixth overall in the 2002 NBA Draft. His pro career was hampered by health problems.

Again, Wagner doesn’t feel pressure living with the legacy. He considers it an honor.

“Ain’t no pressure, I wouldn’t say,” Wagner said. “My dad and my grandpa try to, I say, help me as much as possible with that. They always tell me just to not worry about that kind of stuff.”