John Calipari visits VJ Edgecombe and Alier Maluk

John Calipari continues to ramp up its efforts with 2024 five-star wing VJ Edgecombe, the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 shooting guard.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound prospect out of Long Island Lutheran (NY) received a scholarship offer from the Wildcats back on September 13. Calipari followed that up with an in-person visit to see Edgecombe at his school on Monday.

It was a double-dip trip, with the Kentucky head coach also checking in on 2025 four-star forward Alier Maluk, who has been in loose contact with the Wildcats for the better part of the last year.

Kentucky coach @UKCoachCalipari was in for ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Alier Maluk’25 @Maluk_Alier12 of @LuHiBasketball & @NYRhoops and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️VJ Edgecombe’24 @vj_edgecombe of @SE_Elite_3SSB & @LuHiBasketball #BBN 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/0vysxayDK1

— 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝓇ℯ𝓌 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓉ℯ𝓇 (@Andrew__Slater) October 2, 2023

Edgecombe previously cut his list down to ten on July 30, with Alabama, Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Miami (FL), Michigan, St. John’s and the G League Ignite making up the finalists.

The five-star guard is coming off an official visit to Florida and has visits currently scheduled to Baylor (Oct. 7), Michigan (Oct. 14), Duke (Oct. 21), Alabama (Nov. 4) and Florida State (Nov. 11), with a trip to St. John’s also in the works.

Can Kentucky get Edgecombe on campus? That’s the goal, and it’s on the table, especially as the Wildcats slide into the list of contenders and previous options — including some with visits scheduled — falling back among top priorities. Calipari wouldn’t be wasting his time making trips to Long Island Lutheran if the Wildcats weren’t being considered.

As for Alier Maluk, the 6-10 forward is rated as the No. 41 overall prospect in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking, Kentucky continues to monitor his growth. The Wildcats were courtside at several EYBL games watching the Kenyan big man out of Pittsburgh this spring and summer with Team Durant (16U). Orlando Antigua also made the trip to watch him play in the PIAA state championship game back in March.

“They are a blue-blooded school. Coach Cal has made a lot of history with his NBA talent in college,” Maluk said of Kentucky in the spring. “One of the best coaches arguably of all-time.”

Maluk has received offers from the likes of Florida State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Ohio State, NC State, Seton Hall, Oregon, Texas A&M, Auburn and LSU. Could Kentucky join that list at some point? Calipari and his staff will see how he plays alongside Edgecombe with Long Island Lutheran this winter.