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Report: Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner sets official visit with Arkansas, John Calipari

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•05/07/24•

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Kentucky G DJ Wagner
Kentucky Transfer DJ Wagner is one of the top PGs in college basketball's Transfer Portal (Jordan Prather | USA TODAY Sports)

DJ Wagner will visit Arkansas this weekend, per Jon Rothstein. Wagner only spent one season at Kentucky. He entered the transfer portal after head coach John Calipari left the program to take over at Arkansas.

In his lone campaign with the Wildcats, Wagner started in 28 of his 29 appearances. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5% from the field and 29.9% from beyond the arc.

Wagner scored a career-high 28 points in Kentucky’s 118-82 win over Marshall on Nov. 24. The 6-foot-4 standout was extremely efficient in the blowout, shooting 10-14 from the floor. For his efforts, Wagner was named an All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team selection and was a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree.

Wagner missed three games in early February due to injury, but came back strong, averaging 11 points in Kentucky’s final four games of the regular season. Wagner failed to score in Kentucky’s stunning loss against Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Even when Wagner battled injury during the season, Calipari was supportive of the freshman.

“DJ being hurt and sitting out two and a half weeks really affected him,” Calipari said. “He’s come back. He’s better. He’s back to where he was. He was the Freshmen of the Week four times, and then he took two-and-a-half weeks off and it’s taken him time.”

DJ Wagner played high school basketball at Camden (NJ), where he was a five-star prospect. He was the No. 7 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

John Calipari reeling in Kentucky transfers this offseason

Wagner entered the transfer portal on April 15, a week after Calipari left Kentucky to join the Razorbacks. Every member of Wagner’s 2023 class at Kentucky either entered the transfer portal or declared for the 2024 NBA Draft after the season concluded.

Wagner has reportedly visited USC, as well. Arkansas has already added four players via the transfer portal, including former Kentucky teammates Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic, along with Johnell Davis (FAU) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee).

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.