One-time UK commit DJ Jeffries is back as a Mississippi State Bulldog (Please be professional.)

Kentucky Basketball will face a familiar name tonight in Mississippi State forward DJ Jeffries. At one time, Jeffries was a future Wildcat, the first commitment in John Calipari’s 2019 recruiting class. Jeffries committed to Kentucky over Mississippi State in March of 2018 near the end of his junior year of high school as the No. 26 player in America and No. 1 player in Mississippi.

It was a lifelong dream to play for Calipari, Jeffries said of his place at Kentucky.

However, Jeffries’ time in Big Blue Nation was short-lived as he pulled his commitment to Calipari’s basketball program months later in the summer before his senior year of high school. AAU teammate James Wiseman, Kentucky’s top target in the class, was being pulled toward Memphis by Penny Hardaway, the former AAU coach of both Jeffries and Wiseman. Jeffries denied reports of a decommitment to follow Hardaway, but in October of 2018 he committed to Hardaway and Memphis, two months after reopening his recruitment.

Wiseman joined Jeffries and Hardaway weeks later.

We all know how that worked out.

“Unprofessional” Kentucky (or waning interest)

Adding to the DJ Jeffries-Kentucky drama, Jeffries’ father stirred the pot following his son’s decommitment by telling a Memphis radio station that Kentucky was “unprofessional” in its reaction to Jeffries’ decision. Corey Jeffries later clarified his comments as directed at assistant coach Tony Barbee and not Calipari.

Corey Jeffries also noted Kentucky’s coaching staff was absent from his son’s last summer game in Las Vegas. “It was the last game of his summer career, so he was expecting somebody to be there,” he said. “I think it kind of bothered him. That kind of shook him up a little bit.”

Some took the absence as a sign Kentucky was losing interest in Jeffries, who fell from No. 26 to No. 52 in the final update to the rankings. The Wildcats were busy elsewhere on the recruiting trail that weekend.

It is also very telling that Kentucky replaced Jeffries with Kahlil Whitney only two weeks after Jeffries backed out of his verbal commitment. Whitney was a five-star, ranked seven spots higher at the same position and 11th overall in the entire class.

We all know how that worked out too.

Transfer to Mississippi State

Like many others, DJ Jeffries was quick to realize Penny Hardaway and Memphis weren’t on the right track, so he entered the transfer portal following his sophomore season. He had given 10.3 points per game in 47 games for Hardaway, but he saw an opportunity to finish his career where it almost began. Not even three weeks after telling Penny goodbye, Jeffries moved back to Mississippi to play for Ben Howland’s Bulldogs.

Since leaving Memphis, the 6-foot-7 forward has started all 18 games in 2021-22 for Mississippi State and adds 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

On Monday, Ben Howland said of Jeffries, “He was a great addition. He originally verballed to Kentucky maybe his junior year of high school, maybe his sophomore year. It’s been so long ago. Then he reopened his recruiting up and ultimately landed at Memphis before arriving here this summer and we were just thrilled to get him.

“He’s one of our best defenders. He’s a very smart player. He’s a good, all-around player. He can do a lot of everything. Rebound, pass. Handles the ball. Again, one of our best defensive players, one of our most versatile players that can play multiple positions and defend multiple positions.”