Dajuan Wagner sees can't-lose situation with John Calipari and Kenny Payne recruiting his son

Dajuan Wagner is in a win-win situation regarding his son’s high-profile recruitment. DJ Wagner is the nation’s No. 1 prospect in the class of 2023, a dynamite scoring guard with wiggle and burst. Unlike most top-ranked recruits, though, the 6-foot-3 junior doesn’t have a long list of blue-blood programs lining up to sign him.

Well, one is, the University of Kentucky. That’s where the list has started and stopped since Wagner emerged as a blue-chip recruit. Really, that’s where the list has started and stopped since John Calipari took over as the head coach back in 2009. Until recently, at least.

Uncle Kenny Payne heads to Louisville

Kenny Payne being hired at Louisville threw a wrench into things. It was the one coach and one program that could. Payne won a national title with the Cardinals alongside Dajuan’s father and DJ’s grandfather, Milt Wagner, back in 1986. The two are best friends and have been for decades. For Dajuan, it’s family.

“My dad went to Louisville. Kenny, that’s my uncle,” Dajuan said at Nike EYBL Session II this past weekend in Indianapolis.

Dajuan Wagner’s ties to Calipari are well-known at this point. The former Memphis Tiger wanted to return to school for his sophomore year, but Calipari famously ripped up his scholarship papers and urged him to declare for the 2002 NBA Draft. He was ultimately selected No. 6 overall and signed a $10.7 million rookie deal.

From there, though, Wagner’s NBA career was cut short due to health and injury issues, specifically after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and needing surgery to remove his colon in 2005. Calipari’s decision to push Wagner to the NBA and take the guaranteed money as a likely lottery pick was life-changing for the native of Camden, New Jersey. The former Memphis standout has said that he owes his life to Coach Cal for making that call back in the day.

Born in 2005, DJ was there from that point on.

“I love Cal. Cal was my coach,” Dajuan said at the EYBL event. “… Cal, that’s family, you know what I’m saying? DJ’s been going to his camps since he was five, six years old. I used to take him to the (facilities), all that stuff.”

Trust in John Calipari

That was then, though, and this is now. Dajuan trusts Calipari and their relationship remains strong, but DJ is now a young adult making his own decision. And he now has another unofficial family member recruiting him to a different school.

“You only get this one time,” Dajuan said. “With Cal — if I’m biased, yes (our relationship has stuck with me) because I know what to expect from Coach Cal. You know what I’m saying? He’s going to get you where you’re supposed to get to, your dream. He’ll be real with you. Off the court, he’s like a father figure to all of us.

“But you never know, huh? Kenny Payne, that’s my uncle. It ain’t got nothing to do with my dad. That’s my uncle.”

Milt Wagner’s unique connection

Back to that, Uncle Kenny. There was chatter after Payne was hired that he was considering Milt Wagner as an on-court assistant to help recruit DJ to Louisville, a package deal of sorts. Hire grandpa, get his top-ranked grandson.

The rumors were frustrating for Dajuan, but not for reasons you might expect. It wasn’t the fact that his father was being discussed for the position, but rather that DJ was seen as the sole reason. Considering everything Milt did for Louisville as a player, Dajuan felt his father being used as a recruiting tool wasn’t fair to his legacy. He’s more than the coach’s best friend or the grandfather of a top-ranked recruit to that program.

“It shouldn’t take Kenny getting a job for my dad to go to that university,” Dajuan said. “He did a lot for that university. That’s my only thing, you know what I’m saying? It always comes up, him getting a job. My dad did a lot for that university, took them to three Final Fours. He’s a legend there by himself.”

Payne would ultimately avoid the hire, instead opting for Oregon staffer Josh Jamieson to fill that third seat on the bench. Jamieson joins Nolan Smith and Danny Manning on Payne’s staff.

Good news for Kentucky, right? Maybe. Payne is still family.

“Kenny Payne is my uncle. That’s my uncle,” Dajuan stressed yet again. “… Cal knows the relationship with Kenny — Kenny was there.”

As much as Kentucky rubbed off on DJ as a kid, Louisville did, as well. It’s why Dajuan tries to stay out of it, knowing it’s a unique dynamic between the coaches and schools.

“He loves Louisville, my dad loves Louisville,” Dajuan said. “DJ loves Louisville too, that’s where his grandpa went. I keep him away from all that other stuff, you know what I’m saying? … If DJ picked Louisville, I wouldn’t be mad. It’s DJ’s decision.”

DJ Wagner avoids the noise

What does DJ think about the tug-of-war battle between Calipari and Payne? He’s grateful for any and all interest from colleges, let alone two high-profile programs fighting for his commitment.

“That’s crazy,” DJ said of the in-state rivalry battle. “It’s an honor for any college coach to want me, but that’s two great schools. Those are two historical colleges right there that are recruiting me, so it’s definitely an honor.”

On one end, he grew up around Calipari and the Kentucky basketball program.

“I can’t even keep count (of the Coach Cal youth camps),” DJ said. “Just remember going there when I was younger, going to Kentucky. I remember having fun at all the camps. … When I was younger, (Calipari) never really recruited me like that. Now he’s telling me to go wherever I feel is best and play hard. He feels like he can help me.”

On the other, the Wagners have a special relationship with Payne, as well.

“That’s like family,” DJ added. “That’s always been family since I was young.”

Does he hear the noise?

“I’m not really aware of it, don’t really know what’s going on,” the five-star guard said. “I’m just playing ball, happy to be out there.”

Dajuan doesn’t get caught up in the hype either. For the former Memphis standout, the focus is on basketball and basketball only with his son.

“It’s no circus for me. I’m just in the gym with him,” he said. “Him and his mom, they worry about the visits and all that stuff. I never liked the attention, even when I played. We just play basketball.”

Not necessarily a two-horse race

All of the attention is on Kentucky and Louisville, but DJ likes other programs too. He listed off Villanova, Memphis, Arkansas, Syracuse and Michigan as other schools making a push. The focus is on the Wildcats and Cardinals, but the five-star guard says his recruitment remains wide open.

“Right now I’m open to any school, not focused on any school,” DJ said. “I’m not saying I want to go to this school or that school or anything like that, I’m really open to every college.”

And while he grew up around Kentucky and Louisville basketball, the prized recruit says he didn’t root for any particular team. He was a fan of the sport in general, particularly when postseason play came around.

“I never really had a favorite college basketball team, I just loved college basketball,” he said. “I was a fan of all the schools, watching March Madness, Final Fours, I’ve always been a fan of that. It wasn’t a certain school.”

Now, he’s simply enjoying the process and remaining grateful for the interest. There was plenty of it in Indianapolis, with college coaches lining up to watch him play every time he stepped on the floor.

“It’s an honor to see any type of college, any coach sitting and watching,” Wagner said. “It’s an honor, it’s surreal because that’s my dream (to go to college). Really, it’s a great experience. I try to not really focus too much on it, I just focus on the game. But seeing them sitting there, it’s crazy.”

“It’s going to be DJ’s decision”

It will soon come time, though, to sit down and make the difficult decision. And as open as he says things may be right now, it will almost certainly come down to family. The route he takes will be up to him.

“(My parents are) telling me to go where I think is best, do what’s best for me,” DJ told KSR. “They want me to do what I want to do, do what makes me happy. But whenever I need anything or any help, they’re there for me, my mom and my dad. They’re not there to pressure me, they’re there to help me.”

“It doesn’t matter, it’s going to be DJ’s decision,” Dajuan said. “I’ll be happy regardless.”

Until then, the focus is entirely on basketball, not rankings or recruiting.

“I’m just out here having fun, coming out and competing,” DJ said. “I don’t look into No. 1 rankings and all of that. I’m just out here doing what I love to do.”

“We’d rather be the No. 1 team in the country,” the five-star recruit’s father added. “(Rankings) don’t mean anything. … (I tell him to) just go play basketball. Forget about all that social media stuff, try to get better every day. Make it about winning and not all this other stuff. Just be a winner.”

The first official recruiting battle between John Calipari and Kenny Payne is here, and it’s a complicated one. For Dajuan Wagner Sr., though, it’s a can’t-lose situation.