UK has picked up basketball recruiting momentum

Dillingham’s commitment supposedly has ended an intriguing recruiting road for Dillingham, who is from North Carolina and has had a national reputation since his sophomore year in high school.

Dillingham also joined in-state sensation and UK hoops double legacy Reed Sheppard. Dillingham is considered one of the best scorers in the country, and he has been compared to former 1-year UK star Malik Monk because of his offensive potential.

The ultra-scoring point guard along with Sheppard, who is a very versatile perimeter player, would make for one of the best backcourts UK coach John Calipari has had as it stands. Even though the recruiting situation with DJ Wagner has changed drastically since Kenny Payne was named coach at the University of Louisville, Kentucky is still considered to be still in the picture, even with Dillingham coming to Lexington.

If somehow UK still lands Wagner, that would make for an incredible backcourt. Calipari and UK are expected to still have a number of 5-stars building into the 2023 class as it is.

Dillingham’s decision was the first positive jolt of the weekend committed to UK for the 2023 class. Calipari was evidently so impressed by what Travis Perry from Lyon County did in a showcase performance a week ago that that the UK coach offered the 2024 prospect during a Saturday visit to Lexington.

Perry’s star got bright in Calipari’s eyes when the UK coach saw the 6-foot-2 guard in the Titans-Rockets Shootout recently at Shelbyville. Calipari was reportedly enamored with the guard from deep western Kentucky when he saw the junior put up 36 points in one of those games.

Calipari had already made four offers to players in the 2024 class before Perry, but for a lot of folks following BBN, this offer is likely the most significant.

Perry began getting noticed for his scoring potential during this past sophomore season, and those numbers have gotten him numerous offers in the last couple of weeks. Perry got offers from Michigan and Ohio State in the last day or so. He had an offer from Western Kentucky University among others.

Perry has scored 3,189 points and still has two years to go at Lyon County. The discussion has picked up more momentum recently about Perry breaking the Kentucky all-time high school scoring record of 4,337 points set by the legendary “King” Kelly Coleman, a record that has stood since 1956. What is normal production for Perry should earn him the spot as the best high school basketball scorer in Kentucky history.

Perry has two more seasons to write that story. One of the biggest chapters so far for Perry has been that offer from Calipari in Lexington.