WATCH: 5-star Dajuan Wagner Jr. posterizes defender

Camden (N.J.) guard Dajuan Wagner Jr. has earned the title of the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 class, and for good reason.

On Saturday during the first weekend of the Nike EYBL Circuit, Wagner picked an opposing guard pocket, drove right to the hoop and slammed down a thunderous dunk on the head of another defender. The dunk is yet another highlight reel play for a prospect whose YouTube videos regularly draw millions of views.

DJ WAGNER POSTER 😳 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/29Ka8Y28Kd

— Overtime (@overtime) April 9, 2022

Wagner has been considered one of the top three prospects from the junior class for a couple of years now, and has been considered a Kentucky lean for even longer. The connection between Wagner’s father, Dajuan Wagner, who was an NBA lottery pick under Calipari at Memphis, has made it feel like a foregone conclusion that his son would play for the same college coach. The ‘Cats are the overwhelming favorite to land him, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), which projects their chances at 97.6 percent.

Calipari and his staff have made multiple visits to check in on Wagner over the last several months, as well. One of Wagner’s current teammates at Camden, 7-foot center Aaron Bradshaw, is also a highly coveted prospect from the class of 2023 receiving significant Kentucky interest. Bradshaw is ranked as the No. 21 overall player in his class, according to the On3 Consensus.

But here’s why the recruitment could reach a tipping point. Former Kentucky assistant coach, Kenny Payne, is now the head coach at Louisville. Payne, like Calipari, shares a special connection with the Wagner family, as he played alongside Wagner’s grandfather, Milt Wagner, on Louisville’s 1986 national title squad. Could one of Calipari’s former proteges steal away one of his top targets? Time will tell.

Dajuan Wagner Jr. Scouting Summary

“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.” — Jamie Shaw, On3 National Recruiting Analyst