KSR's top takeaways from the Louisville Nike EYBL session

Session III of the Nike EYBL has come to pass, with the prestigious basketball recruiting event taking its many talents to Louisville this past weekend. There, some of Kentucky’s top targets went head-to-head on the big stage, highlighted by the likes of Robert Dillingham, DJ Wagner, Ron Holland, Aaron Bradshaw and many, many more.

What were the biggest takeaways? KSR had boots on the ground at the Kentucky Expo Center throughout the weekend. Here’s what we saw:

Robert Dillingham is an interesting fit for Kentucky

It’s been a while since John Calipari has had a point guard like 2023 five-star Rob Dillingham. He’s shifty with a quick first step, crafty as a finisher around the basket. His jumper is a little unorthodox, but his efficiency speaks for itself — he shot 44.8% from three on 13-29 attempts across five games this weekend alone. The 6-foot-2 guard is thin and struggles a bit with physicality, but compensates with acrobatic moves at the rim to avoid contact. He’s also second-to-none at breaking defenders down and creating space for clean looks.

Dillingham averaged 22.4 points per game to go with 2.6 assists on the weekend, shooting less than 50% from the field just once over five games. It was a brilliant outing for the five-star guard in Louisville, one where he solidified himself as a top-five player in the class.

He’s flashy and wildly entertaining, someone not afraid to talk his talk. When he crosses you over or hits a shot in your face, the five-star guard will let you know about it. He knows he’s a good player and does things other players in the country simply can’t. At times, though, that confidence can lead to some erratic play, highlighted by unnecessary turnovers and bad shots. You have to take the bad with the good — and there’s plenty more good.

Dillingham is set to make a decision in the coming weeks, telling KSR he’s targeting a June commitment. A source close to the standout guard tells KSR that June 24 is the target date, though nothing is set in stone. Regardless of the specifics, Kentucky is in great shape going down the home stretch of his recruitment.

— Jack Pilgrim

JJ Taylor and KJ Evans stock dropping

Arguably the biggest storyline commanding attention on the AAU circuit this summer has been the recruiting battle between Kentucky and Louisville for DJ Wagner. But a close second might be the play (or lack thereof, in one case) of two UK targets, JJ Taylor and KJ Evans.

Starting with Taylor, his status as a five-star prospect has been in serious doubt for the last several months. After a breakout spring/summer in 2021 that saw him shoot up the rankings and earn the first offer from Kentucky among all rising juniors, his recruitment has gone relatively silent. Taylor transferred out to Kanye West’s Donda Academy in California for the 2021-22 season, where he played well alongside fellow UK target Robert Dillingham. But he was not with the Mac Irvin Fire program this past weekend in Louisville and hasn’t stood out on the hardwood this summer the same way he did this time last year.

The folks over at 247Sports recently tanked Taylor’s ranking in the site’s latest update, driving him down 27 spots from No. 6 to No. 33 overall in the class. Once On3 releases its updated rankings in the near future, Taylor is also expected to take a decent dive in the rankings. He is currently ranked No. 12 overall by On3.

Evans is in a different situation than Taylor, but the legitimacy surrounding his five-star, top-five ranking is beginning to come into question. Unlike Taylor, Evans’ recruitment hasn’t been a huge secret. Kentucky, Oregon, and Arizona are the schools he talks about the most and the sense is they lead the way (I would put my money on Arizona as of today). But where Taylor once boosted his stock thanks to his on-court play, Evans’ stock rose due to the potential of being a 6-foot-10 point forward. Unfortunately, that potential just hasn’t flashed at a consistent level.

Through 12 games with Team Durant this summer, Evans is averaging just 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor, 15.0 percent from distance, and 47.1 percent (16-34) from the free-throw line. While I’m still not entirely out on Evans — and I don’t expect his ranking to fall as significantly as Taylor’s did — we will reach a point where the production needs to equal the potential. So far, we haven’t seen that. He’s still 6-foot-10, can bring the ball up the floor, and has a solid feel for the game. But poor shooting and a lack of overall strength continue to hinder what might lie underneath. He has all the “tools” that NBA teams crave, but it has yet to all come together.

It’ll be interesting to see if Kentucky stays in hot pursuit moving forward — for both players.

— Zack Geoghegan

Ron Holland has up-and-down weekend

The raw talent and tools are there for Ron Holland. Standing 6-8, 200 pounds, the five-star forward averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game over three days in Louisville. At his best, he’s a strong and polished finisher with a growing outside shot. He’s a grab-and-go rebounder, capable of getting downhill in a hurry, leading to easy buckets in transition. Terrence Jones is an interesting comparison, an inside-out forward capable of bringing the physicality.

It is, however, the second consecutive EYBL session I’ve come away a bit underwhelmed with Holland’s motor, an aspect of his game he’s always taken pride in. The bright spots are among the brightest in the class of 2023, but there are prolonged stretches where he takes plays off on both ends, coasts up and down the floor, doesn’t get back on defense in transition and focuses more on taking perimeter jumpers rather than using his size and skill to dominate games.

Kentucky is bringing him in on an official visit from June 13-15, hoping to make up ground on other schools further along in their respective pushes for the five-star forward, namely Arkansas and UCLA. The G League is also a threat, with Holland interested in that possibility, as well.

With KJ Evans’ stock falling — UK was previously seen as a top choice for him — and other forward options heading or trending elsewhere, Holland is up there among the top available pieces alongside Justin Edwards and Matas Buzelis. Kentucky hopes to get at least one of those three, though two would be ideal. Holland is physically ready for the college game and has a high ceiling if he can stay engaged during his time on the floor.

— Jack Pilgrim

Go get Aaron Bradshaw

Aaron Bradshaw first caught our attention back in January playing center for Camden (NJ) alongside DJ Wagner. He was clearly raw and played like it, but the rim protection was undeniable. So far this summer for the New Jersey Scholars (once again teaming up with Wagner), he has me buying all the way in. In fact, I’m of the belief that Kentucky should do whatever it takes to land Bradshaw, regardless of what happens with Wagner’s recruitment. The two players are hearing heavily from UK and Louisville, and could potentially land at either spot as a package deal. But as Wagner continues to trend towards the Cards, Kentucky coaches should do whatever they can to keep Bradshaw from joining his longtime teammate.

It’s no longer all about blocking shots for Bradshaw anymore, although he is still one of the top two or three prospects in the class in that regard, if not the best. He’s extending his range; taking more jump shots while hunting for post touches. Bradshaw is every bit of 7-foot-1 and abuses that height to simply shoot over his defender with soft-touch fadeaways. He’s improving his finishing ability around the rim game-by-game. Through five contests in Louisville, he averaged 15 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per contest while shooting 66 percent from the field. The Scholars posted a 4-1 record over the weekend with Bradshaw anchoring the paint.

Bradshaw has potential riddled throughout his body and he’s been filling it out over the last couple of months. He’s considered a four-star talent and a top 20 prospect in the ’23 class with some room to rise even further before the rankings are finalized. He likely wouldn’t bring an immediate impact if he were to choose Kentucky, but give him a couple of years to develop, bulk up, and learn how to play in the SEC, and he has all the capabilities of being a high-level player — think in the mold of a Daimion Collins or a Nick Richards.

— Zack Geoghegan

DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw remain silent

Speaking of Bradshaw, if you’re waiting for interviews with him and/or DJ Wagner regarding their interest in Kentucky or the impact of Louisville adding Milt Wagner to its staff, you’ll have to wait till the next recruiting event, at minimum.

The New Jersey Scholars program made its entire roster unavailable for interviews this weekend, starting from the time the team arrived in Louisville. Local and national reporters lined up with the team at the conclusion of every game, and out of five tries in five games, they had a success rate of 0.0%. The staff always left open the possibility of a media opportunity after a later game or the following day, but the can was kicked down the road all the way through the team’s last game before they left on Monday. No quotes, no stories, nothing.

The event was loaded with Louisville and Kentucky fans; courts court lined with both every time the prized duo took the floor. It should be noted, as well, that former UofL star Pervis Ellison is the team’s director, just one of many connections around the program for the Cardinals. Milt Wagner, DJ’s grandfather and UofL’s newest director of player development, was there every day, typically with other past Louisville players and friends of the program. It was clearly a red-heavy circle, despite the five-star guard and his father’s long-standing connections with Kentucky.

UK won’t go down without a fight — KSR’s own Matt Jones reports Kentucky could still add Dajuan Wagner to the staff — but UofL has the current momentum with the five-star guard. Things are a bit more unclear on Bradshaw, who would like to play with Wagner in college, but doesn’t have the family pull his star teammate does in either direction.

— Jack Pilgrim

Is Milan Momcilovic a take for Kentucky?

In the simplest terms: probably not, at least not right now. Milan Momcilovic (pronounced Mum-chill-o-vich) is a steady and smooth scorer at 6-foot-8 with a Dirk Nowitzki-esque fadeaway jumper, but a lack of pure speed and quickness might prevent Kentucky from going all-in. The Wildcat staff was prevalent during the second Nike EYBL session in Indianapolis and Momcilovic performed quite well in Louisville, although coaches were not allowed to attend due to it being a dead period. In fact, he was arguably the best scorer of the entire weekend.

Momcilovic and his Team Herro (yes, the same Herro) squad posted a 2-3 record over the Memorial Day weekend, but it certainly wasn’t from his lack of production. The stretch forward went off for individual scoring games of 13 points, 22, 25, 30, and 26 across his five outings. He averaged 23.2 points per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from distance on impressive volume as the primary and secondary option for Team Herro. Momcilovic is well-deserving of his top 40 ranking from 247Sports and he’ll receive a similar bump from On3 in the coming weeks. That being said, I wouldn’t bet on UK pulling the trigger on an offer right now.

He’s as pure a scorer as there is from the 2023 class, but there just isn’t enough versatility right now to justify a scholarship, in my eyes. UCLA and Virginia are the schools receiving official visits from Momcilovic this summer. He’s also been to Iowa State and Minnesota in the past. Those feel like more appropriate fits, but the situation can always change.

As a slightly unrelated side note, Momcilovic’s Team Herro teammate, Austin Herro (younger brother of Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro), finally returned to the floor after dealing with injuries for roughly two years. In his first session of the EYBL circuit this summer, baby Herro played the role of floor general and looked fully under control. The 6-foot-3 guard told KSR that he’s not hearing from many schools due to his lack of on-court play, but I would expect that to change as he continues to find the floor and shine while doing so. He’s not going to hear from the likes of Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, etc., but don’t be shocked if he winds up playing for a notable Divison I program.

— Zack Geoghegan