2026 No. 1-Ranked Prospect Brandon McCoy Jr. Says Getting an Offer From Kentucky is 'Goal on My Wall'

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Brandon McCoy Jr. is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 On3 Industry Rankings, and Kentucky is showing some early interest. While UK is yet to extend an offer, the five-star guard is hoping to land one in the future.

The 6-foot-5, 170-pound point guard from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) told KSR+ that he hopes to receive an offer from Kentucky and take a visit in the future.

“Definitely,” McCoy said. “Having an offer from Kentucky is a goal on my wall. I would definitely take a visit there. I would be very happy to receive an offer from Kentucky. I’m an electric guard that could definitely turn this city up.”

Kentucky basketball has only offered one player in the class of 2026, No. 2-ranked Tyran Stokes. However, the coaches at Kentucky have attended several of McCoy’s games and have been in contact with his father.

“I’m pretty sure it was positive feedback because they kept coming back to games,” McCoy said. “I’m not too sure exactly about what was said.”

‘They Have a Lot of Freedom’

Brandon McCoy Jr. has high regard for Kentucky and has heard good things about the way the team runs practice. The competitive nature of the program is something that stands out.

“I know it’s a really, really great program,” he said. “They have a lot of good coaches. They’re very competitive and good pretty much every year. I just know how intense their practices are. I’ve heard a lot of crazy stories about practice and how good their players end up being, especially their guards.”

McCoy has spent plenty of time this season watching Kentucky. With the strong play from freshmen like Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, and DJ Wagner, McCoy is intrigued by the opportunity to suit up in the Kentucky Blue.

“Every time I turn the TV on, their games are on, so I watch them. They’ve got some really good guards this year, man. It’s crazy,” he said. “I feel like they have a lot of freedom. They have good players and a long leash to show what they’re capable of, which is really nice.”

McCoy sees the freedom that Kentucky gives its guards and believes it would fit him well. Even if the coaches are hard on him, it’s something he’s used to.

“The guards’ leashes are pretty long,” he said. “I feel like I’m a good enough guard to show what I can do if I have a long leash. I feel like I’d fit really well. It’s hard coaching, which I’m pretty used to by now. It gets me way better, so I feel like I’d fit in perfectly.”

Early Highlights of the Recruiting Process

Kentucky is among a long list of schools that have shown interest in Brandon McCoy Jr., which includes USC, UCLA, Arkansas, and Arizona. Another school that has been in contact is Texas, although they haven’t answered.

“It’s definitely a blessing,” McCoy said. “I always dreamed of having offers. It’s really just a blessing. Nothing annoys me about the recruitment. I’m just really happy to have offers. Knowing my hard work has paid off is really a blessing.”

The highlight of the recruiting process for McCoy so far came at the end of ninth grade when he received his first college offer from Arizona State. He started to get discouraged when he saw other players getting offers before they even started high school, so when the first offer came, it made an impact.

“I was playing really well and just never got an offer,” McCoy said. “So, when I finally got that one it meant a lot and I was really happy.”

His First Two Unofficial Visits

Now that he’s seen his recruitment blow up, Brandon McCoy Jr. has started to progress through the early stages of the process. He took his first two unofficial visits to USC and UCLA in August and broke down each trip for KSR+:

USC: “Coach [Andy] Enfield, I like how he runs his offense through his guards. It’s also a nice, beautiful campus. When I watched the practice, I felt a really good vibe. They played a lot of fives in practice, so I really liked that.”

UCLA: “Coach [Mick Cronin] is definitely an interesting coach. I love their coach. He’s really aggressive, which I like. He definitely gets his players better. The practices were a little more intense and they have a really, really nice campus which was crazy to look at. From head coach down to assistant coach, their staff is insane. They take their jobs very seriously and get their players better.”

Heading into the spring, McCoy is focused on getting ready for AAU season. He doesn’t have any visits planned.

“I’m looking for a school that develops point guards well,” he said. “Then a coaching staff and players that trust me with the ball, trust me off the court, and love me in general. I’m definitely looking for a school with a good education because I know my parents and I take that very seriously.”

Brandon McCoy Jr. is the Best Player in 2026

Five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr. of St. John (Ca.) Bosco is the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. McCoy is rated by On3, 247Sports, and Rivals as the No. 1 overall prospect, while ESPN ranks him No. 2 overall.

“I’m blessed to be No. 1,” McCoy said. “I appreciate all the sites that have me there, but being the No. 1 player isn’t my end goal. It’s something that shows that my work is showing, but the main goal is the NBA. Of course, I see them and appreciate the sites, but there’s definitely still more work to do.”

Assessing his own game, McCoy sees his finishing and rebounding as his greatest strengths. Despite being ranked No. 1, McCoy is still focused on climbing and getting better.

“My decision-making now isn’t bad, but if I want to take that next step as an elite point guard, it’s probably decision-making [that needs to improve],” he said. “I want to take my shooting to the next level for sure.”

One avenue in which McCoy has been able to improve his game has been through USA Basketball. He won a gold medal in the FIBA America U16 Championships in the summer of 2023 and recently participated in a USA Basketball Junior National Team October Minicamp.

“I learned a lot from all the great coaches at those camps. There’s so much, I can’t explain it,” McCoy said. “I learned so much from those camps. Traveling with the team when I made it, playing international ball and seeing how they play, and taking parts of the international players’ games, meant a lot. I hope to make the team again.”