On3 unveils class of 2023 basketball recruiting rankings

Kentucky Men’s Basketball is still working hard to round out the class of 2022, but it’s never too early to look ahead.

On Wednesday afternoon, On3 unveiled its first class of 2023 top 50 basketball player rankings, and several Kentucky targets made the cut. Of the top 10, eight of them have at least some sort of relationship with UK and the coaching staff. 6-foot-10 center Baye Fall takes over the top spot while SF Mackenzie Mgbako (No. 2), CG Dajuan Wagner Jr. (No. 3), SF Kwame Evans Jr. (No. 4), and SF Marquis “Mookie” Cook (No. 5) round out the top five.

Baye Fall earns a five-star rating and ranks No. 1 in the nation by On3 ‼️

See the 2023 Hoops Top FIFTY on @On3sports :https://t.co/Eayl8hUpr1 pic.twitter.com/pntkWwumYs

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) September 22, 2021

Below is the entire class of 2023 top 15. Players highlighted in blue are receiving some level of interest from Kentucky. Only the top 10 prospects are classified as five stars by On3.

1. C Baye Fall (99)
   Denver Denver Prep Academy 
2. SF Mackenzie Mgbako (99)
   Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard’s School
3. CG Dajuan Wagner Jr. (99)
   Camden (N.J.) High
4. SF Kwame Evans (99)
   Baltimore (Md.) Montverde Academy
5. SF Mookie Cook (98) 
   Portland (Ore.) Compass Prep
6. SF Justin Edwards (98) 
   Philadelphia Imohtep Charter
7. SF J.J. Taylor (98)
   Chicago Kentwood Academy
8. PG Caleb Foster (98)
   Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy – Duke commitment
9. PF Omaha Biliew (98) 
   Wake (Iowa) Link Year Prep
10. PF G.G. Jackson (98)
    Ridge View (S.C.) High
11. CG Kanaan Carlyle (97)
    Milton (Ga.) High
12. PF Matas Buzelis (97)
    Hinsdale (Ill.) Brewster Academy
13. CG Simeon Wilcher (97)
    Roselle (N.J.) Roselle Catholic 
14. SG Marvel Allen (97) 
    Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Calvary Christian 
15. SG Elijah Fisher (97)
    Toronto (Canada) Crestwood Prep

Beyond the top 15, however, are a handful of need-to-know prospects. Most notably, North Laurel County’s Reed Sheppard comes in ranked No. 21 overall with four-star status. Another Kentucky-based hooper, George Washington III out of CAL (Christian Academy of Louisville), is ranked No. 50 and also considered a four-star.

Other names to keep an eye on from the list of 50 players are C Aaron Bradshaw (No. 19), SG K.J. Lewis (No. 27), CG Bronny James (No. 34), SG Taison Chatman (No. 44), and C Isaiah Miranda (No. 48).