5-Star Forward Caleb Wilson Aiming for November or December Commitment After Kentucky Visit
[Ed. Note: This article is from KSR+, KSR’s premium sister site. We’ve unlocked it to give you an idea of the content on KSR+. For more bonus coverage of the Cats and access to KSBoard, our message board, subscribe to KSR+.]
Five-star forward Caleb Wilson could be nearing a decision sooner rather than later. That may bode well for Kentucky, which just hosted him on an official visit from Sept. 13-15.
The 6-foot-9, 195-pound power forward from Holy Innocents Episcopal School (Atlanta, GA) sat down with KSR+ for an interview on Monday after his recent official visit to Lexington. He went into detail about the trip, his recruitment, and a commitment timeline.
“It’ll be in November or December, probably,” Wilson said of a commitment. “After I take my visits, I feel like I’ll have a good feel and will be able to see what these coaches look like in their time coaching their teams.”
Wilson’s recent Kentucky trip was the first official visit of his senior year. He’s also set visits to UCF, Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas.
“It was a great visit,” Wilson said. “I had a whole bunch of fun. I felt like I was embraced by the team, the staff, and also the fan base. I like the Cats, man. I really like the Cats.”
Going Into Detail About His Kentucky Visit
Caleb Wilson had plenty of questions heading into his Kentucky official visit over the weekend. His biggest question was about his fit in Mark Pope‘s system.
“My biggest questions were about how they were going to use me in the offense, their belief in me in the position, and the role they wanted me to play on the team,” Wilson said. “I was able to build a really good relationship with Coach Pope and the staff. I learned how their offense favored me and got a good feel for the fan base and the people involved.”
Wilson got to watch two practices over the weekend. He came away impressed.
“I feel like I’d fit in very well,” Wilson said. “It’s five-out, spread with a lot of space to operate. It really favors players who can shoot and attack the rim very well. Those are two things I do very well.”
Teaming Up with Acaden Lewis?
Caleb Wilson raised a lot of eyebrows over the weekend with a certain tweet directed at four-star guard Acaden Lewis. After Lewis cut his list to four, including Kentucky, Wilson tweeted “come on over bro” while still on his official visit.
Wilson got close with Lewis over the summer while playing in the SLAM Summer Classic at Rucker Park on Aug. 21. They’ve talked about a potential package deal.
“We definitely would love to play with each other in college,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be Kentucky, but that’s one of the few schools that’s recruiting both of us at a high level. I’d love to play with Acaden in college and Kentucky is recruiting us both, so it would be really cool, if possible.”
Meeting Some More Kentucky Players
Heading into his Kentucky official visit, Caleb Wilson already had a relationship with freshman guard Travis Perry because they played on the same team during the NBPA Top 100 game. This past weekend was an opportunity for him to meet the rest of the squad.
“I got to know pretty much everyone,” Wilson said. “I got to spend some time with Andrew Carr and talk with him about what it’s like to be on the team and how he likes it. He seems to love it. It was really good for me. I got to meet everybody on the team and talk with them, especially Kerr Kriisa with his energetic personality.”
Wilson already knows both of Kentucky’s 2025 commits, five-star guard Jasper Johnson and four-star center Malachi Moreno. He spent some time with Moreno on his official visit, while attending the UK-Georgia football game.
“We got to talk a little bit about his experience,” Wilson said. “[They’re both telling me] just how much they’re excited for the next year and that they want me to come there. It’s the same old, same old.”
With a decision expected potentially sooner rather than later, Wilson is looking closely at what factors are important. For one, he wants to be on a team where he can make an impact right away.
“Offensive production,” he said. “It’s hard to tell because I’m not a player that Kentucky has on their team. They don’t really have a player like me. I’m looking at their offensive fluidity and other schools too. I want to see their production, the enthusiasm their coach has while coaching, and their ability to win.”
Caleb Wilson’s Game
Five-star forward Caleb Wilson of Holy Innocents (GA) Episcopal School is the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Wilson as the No. 6 player overall, the No. 3 power forward, and the overall best player in Georgia.
“When everybody sees me this basketball season, they’ll see I’m much more physically imposing, much better at getting to the rim and playing off two feet, and I’ve really worked on perfecting my shot,” Wilson said.
Wilson was being recruited by several of the nation’s top prep schools over the summer; however, he ultimately decided to return to Holy Innocents for his senior year.
“I just feel like it’s not necessary for me to go to a prep school because there’s nothing more I can prove or get from going to a prep school,” Wilson said. “It would only be me giving something to them. I feel like I get the same amount of work in as the people who go to prep school and I also want to stay close to home, at least for high school, so I can help my sister become a teenager.”