'24 5-star Naas Cunningham no longer considering Kentucky

2024 five-star wing Naas Cunningham announced an offer from Kentucky just three weeks ago — January 18, to be exact. Fast forward to February 9, and the Wildcats are no longer being considered in his recruitment.

A surprise? Not exactly, as a committable offer was never officially on the table, sources tell KSR. Exploratory conversations and potential interest, sure, but not to the point of a scholarship. It’s the same situation that unfolded with four-star junior Trentyn Flowers just a few weeks before Cunningham’s announced offer — conversations begin, a scholarship is announced and Kentucky is left out of a list cut shortly after.

That came to fruition with the 6-foot-7 wing out of West Orange, NJ on Thursday, with Cunningham cutting his list down to five schools: Duke, Kansas, Memphis, Rutgers and UCLA.

The Overtime Elite prospect has taken trips to Rutgers, UCLA and Duke for unofficial visits, with one scheduled next week to Memphis, as well.

Cunningham joined the likes of Tre Johnson, Boogie Fland, Flory Bidunga, Billy Richmond, Karter Knox, Isaiah Elohim, Amier Ali and Travis Perry to announce offers from Kentucky. As things stand today, though, Johnson, Fland, Bidunga and Richmond are the program’s top priorities in the class of 2024, with 2025 five-star guard Darryn Peterson also a reclass option for the Wildcats.

Kentucky is in wait-and-see mode elsewhere, seeing who emerges in the junior class to close out the high school season and going into the spring with grassroots coming. Until then, the list of serious priorities is a short one.

And if today was any indication, Cunningham was not included on that list.