College Basketball Recruiting

The Arizona Wildcats landed a major recruit in the 2022 class Wednesday.

Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported Henri Veesaar, who is from Estonia and "considered arguably the most promising European prospect" in this class, has joined the Wildcats.

"I believe in [Coach] Tommy Lloyd's philosophy and how he coaches," Veesaar said. "I've had my eyes on playing college basketball for some time now, and I believe that Arizona is a great fit to make a jump between youth and professional sport."

Givony noted the 7'0" big man first made waves as a 15-year-old at the FIBA U16 European Championship, played for Real Madrid's junior program and represented the Estonian senior national team as a 17-year-old.

Veesaar averaged 16.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 2.6 assists per game during last summer's FIBA U18 European Challengers.

He can protect the rim and control the boards on the defensive side while able to work in pick-and-pops and pick-and-rolls as a versatile shooter who is athletic enough to finish lobs.

Arizona is likely losing Bennedict Mathurin, Dalen Terry and Christian Koloko to the draft, so Veesaar could compete with Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis for playing time in the frontcourt.

He will also be one of eight international players on the Wildcats during the 2022-23 campaign, which seemed to play a factor in his decision.

"It helps to fit on the team not being the only foreigner and the play style is different because they are used to having different players from different continents," he said. "The basketball background varies a lot depending on where you grow up, so I think they have a nice mixture from different cultures."

He joins an Arizona program coming off a 33-4 season that included Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles. Yet it will be looking to take the next step in the NCAA tournament after losing in the Sweet 16 to Houston.

Veesaar has the skill set to help the Wildcats do just that.          

The Louisville Cardinals reportedly made a notable move in the race to land top recruit D.J. Wagner.

According to Jeff Borzello of ESPN, Louisville hired Milt Wagner, who played for the Cardinals and is the grandfather of D.J. Wagner. Wagner will be the program's director of player development and serve in an alumni relations role.

The younger Wagner is the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Milt Wagner is one of the most accomplished players in Louisville history.

He played for the Cardinals from 1981-86 and won a national championship while reaching three Final Fours. He was also an All-Metro Conference selection three times and was a second-round draft pick of the Dallas Mavericks after his collegiate career.

His NBA career included stops on the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, and he won a championship with the Purple and Gold in 1988.

As for D.J. Wagner, Borzello noted he is "the subject of an intense recruiting battle between Louisville and Kentucky."

There is also some family history in place outside of his grandfather's connection to Louisville. Kentucky head coach John Calipari coached his father, Dajuan Wagner, at Memphis. Dajuan Wagner signed with the Tigers after Calipari hired Milt Wagner for the Memphis program at the time.

What's more, Louisville head coach Kenny Payne was teammates with Milt Wagner on Louisville's 1986 national championship team.

"Just the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry, I feel like that's crazy. I'm still open to every college right now, I'm just enjoying the process," D.J. Wagner said. "But I think that rivalry, just Kentucky and Louisville in general, the history behind it, it's a great rivalry."

Winning this battle on the recruiting trail will set the table for either Louisville or Kentucky to win the rivalry showdown on the court as well.         

Mike Krzyzewski's retirement doesn't seem to be affecting Duke's recruiting. 

Tyrese Proctor, a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023, told Joe Tipton of On3.com that he was committing to the Blue Devils. 

"Ever since I first stepped on campus at Duke, it just felt like home," he said. "Me and my family talked while I was back in Sydney, and they're happy, and I'm happy. It just felt like home."

Proctor is considered the No. 4 combo guard and the No. 17 prospect overall in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings. 247 also rates him as the top prospect out of his home country of Australia.

Duke has been crushing the recruiting game, even with the school transitioning from Krzyzewski to Jon Scheyer at head coach. The incoming class of 2022 is the top in the nation, with four 5-star recruits—Dereck Lively II, Kyle Filipowski, Dariq Whitehead and Mark Mitchell—highlighting the bunch. 

But the Blue Devils also have the top class of 2023 currently, with three 5-star commits in Proctor, Caleb Foster and Jared McCain. 

Scheyer could be done with the Class 2023 if Mackenzie Mgbako (3) — as expected - chooses Duke tomorrow night.

Duke has Caleb Foster (12), Jared McCain (24), Tyrese Proctor (26) and Sean Stewart (29).

Incredible back-to-back classes. https://t.co/IcxJLOpqYO

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 7, 2022

Proctor, who reportedly chose Duke over Arizona or the NBA's G League Ignite, said his goal was to fill any role the Blue Devils needed. 

"Just come in and help the team win," he told Tipton. "I can do my part by scoring the ball, finding my teammates when they need to be found, and just overall getting the job done."

There is going to be plenty of talent in Durham for Proctor to play with once he hits campus. From a recruiting standpoint, the Scheyer era hasn't missed a beat. 

Kylan Boswell, a 5-star point guard in the class of 2023, committed to Arizona on Monday.

2023 5-star Kylan Boswell is a Arizona commit👀‼️ @BamBam_Boz pic.twitter.com/W5vSrF2p3d

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) February 28, 2022

Boswell chose the Wildcats over Illinois and UNLV.

A 6'1", 180-pound point guard who plays for Compass Prep in Arizona, he is ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the nation and the No. 11 player overall, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He transferred from Corona Centennial (Calif.) for this season because of the latter's national schedule against some of the top teams in the country.

247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins describes Boswell as "a competitive and winning point guard with a strong and sturdy frame who sets the tone on the defensive end. One of the best on-ball defenders in his class, Boswell is aggressive in getting into opposing ball handlers and guarding with physicality."

Boswell blogged about his junior year for Sports Illustrated, writing in October how he had a "great time" visiting Arizona and "loved to see how the coaches were in live action."

Boswell had an excellent summer, helping lead his AAU squad Team Why Not (Calif.) to the E16 Peach Jam title and winning a gold medal as a part of Team USA's under-16 squad.

Boswell's commitment gives Arizona its first prospect in the 2023 class. He should be in line for a starting job in the Wildcats backcourt as soon as he steps on campus.

The Sanders family continues to take over Jackson State athletics.

Shelomi Sanders, the daughter of Deion Sanders, announced her commitment to the Jackson State women's basketball team on Instagram. The 5'7" guard is joining a squad that is 14-0 in the SWAC this season and 16-6 overall.

"Proud Father," Deion Sanders wrote in the comments. 

The Pro Football Hall of Famer became the head coach of the Tigers football program in 2020, leading the Mississippi university to an 11-2 record last season. His son, Shilo, is a sophomore cornerback for the team, while Shedeur was named the FCS Freshman of the Year after his performance at quarterback in 2021.

"3 kids on campus! @shilosanders @shedeursanders & now @shelomisanders THIS IS WHAT I CALL CHILD SUPPORT," Deion wrote in an Instagram post after Shelomi's announcement.

The family continues to put the HBCU school in the national spotlight.

Hansel Enmanuel, a high school basketball player who has gone viral for his impressive skills, said Friday that he has received a scholarship offer to play college basketball at the University of Memphis.

According to On3's Joe Tipton, Enmanuel, who had most of his left arm amputated as a child, now has three scholarship offers from Division I schools with Memphis being the highest-profile institution to date. Enmanuel has also received offers from historically Black universities Bethune-Cookman and Tennessee State.

Enmanuel, who was born in the Dominican Republic, is a 6'4" guard and senior at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida.

An accident when he was six years old resulted in the amputation of his left arm below the shoulder.

Enmanuel is rated by 247Sports as a 3-star prospect and the No. 34 combo guard in the recruiting class of 2022.

Enmanuel's highlight reels show off his impressive skill set, including shooting three-pointers with a unique stroke and throwing down emphatic dunks.

Enmanuel has also gotten himself on the radar by recently appearing in a video for rapper J. Cole's Dreamer brand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIs0t-lYBn8?

On3 estimates that Enmanuel has a name, image and likeness (NIL) value of $1.2 million, which is the third-highest among current high school basketball players.

With college athletes now able to profit from NIL deals because of new NCAA rules, Enmanuel should have no shortage of endorsement opportunities.

Skilled playmaker Robert Dillingham committed to North Carolina State on Wednesday.

Five-star class of 2023 guard Robert Dillingham is an NC State commit! @robwitdashifts pic.twitter.com/z5JZNr6kZz

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 1, 2021

The 6'2" point guard is the No. 8 overall player and ranks first at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2023.

It's fairly common for prep athletes to transfer schools in order to further their development in a given sport. However, Dillingham raised eyebrows when he chose to enroll at Donda Academy, a new private school in Simi Valley, California, backed by Ye.

Despite Donda being such a fresh venture, it added two top prospects in the 2023 class (5-star JJ Taylor and 4-star Jalen Hooks) and Jahki Howard from the 2024 class besides Dillingham.

The school wasted little time in making a splash, and maintaining that momentum hinged partly on setting their players up for success. In that respect, Dillingham is likely to provide a positive testimonial.

247Sports' Jerry Meyer looked at his game in November and compared him to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland: 

Possesses a special feel space and time on the court. Combines this awareness with an elite burst of quickness to gain separation. Highly confident sharp shooter from deep. Has a deft hop back jumper going to his right. Pulls up with effectiveness in the midrange going either direction. Loves to shoot a runner going left when can't get to the rim. Slick ball handler and crafty finisher. Has it on a string and can find teammates while penetrating.

Dillingham is dynamite with the ball in his hands. He doesn't need much space to beat his man off the dribble and dart into the paint, and he can stop on a dime and pull up when his defender cheats a bit to cut off the drive.

Robert Dillingham. Nasty 🔥🔥

🇺🇸 #USABMU16 x #FIBAU16Americas pic.twitter.com/XgLnmiySMs

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) August 25, 2021

That highlight came from the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, where the United States earned a gold medal in August. He averaged 15.7 points and 6.2 assists over 20.3 minutes in the six games of the tournament. He also shot 45.0 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The North Carolina native still has some room to grow with his jumper, but the same can be said for many of his fellow 2023 recruits. The pieces are obviously there for him to be a force on offense.

Because of his 165-pound frame, defense is likely to be an issue now and in the future. There's only so much he can do when matched up with bigger guards or he's switched onto even bigger forwards.

But any coach will be willing to take the trade-off as long as Dillingham delivers as a scorer and facilitator.

His commitment could be a tone-setter for fifth-year NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. The Wolfpack are off to a strong 5-1 start in 2021-22 but have reached the NCAA tournament only once since 2015.

Dillingham's 0.9966 247Sports composite rating is the second-highest for the school going back to 2000. Former first-round NBA draft pick Dennis Smith Jr. (0.9975) was the only player rated higher.

Even assuming Dillingham sticks around for one year, his arrival could signal an upswing in Keatts' fortunes on the recruiting trail.

Reed Sheppard, a 5-star combo guard out of North Laurel High School in London, Kentucky, announced that he will stay home to play for the Kentucky Wildcats:

I rock Kentucky blue.. pic.twitter.com/cQOx6lqTdq

— reed sheppard (@reed_sheppard) November 20, 2021

Sheppard revealed the decision Saturday morning in the North Laurel gym.

"Well, I'm a little boy from Kentucky," Sheppard said when asked why he chose UK.

"... It's a dream of a lot of little boys that live in Kentucky to play basketball at the University of Kentucky."

Sheppard, whom the 247Sports composite rankings have as the No. 22 overall prospect and fifth-best combo guard in the class of 2023, is following in the footsteps of his parents, Jeff and Stacey.

Jeff Sheppard was a two-time national champion for Kentucky men's hoops in 1996 and 1998, winning Most Outstanding Player of the 1998 Final Four.

His mother, Stacey Reed Sheppard, led UK in assists and steals during all four of her seasons and in scoring twice.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari offered Sheppard a scholarship this summer, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.

"I did not know what to think," Sheppard told ESPN regarding the offer.

"I was with both parents in the hotel room. It was hard to believe. Getting the offer meant so much. Coach Cal said he enjoyed watching me play. He said a lot of guys don't get the opportunity to play at Kentucky. But he believed in me. It was special."

Jerry Meyer, 247Sports' director of basketball scouting, compared Sheppard to Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris and offered this report Friday:

Has solid size as a combo guard. Likely has a couple more inches in him. Has a strong lower body and plays with strength. Is a good athlete who can makes plays in traffic. Plays with a low center of gravity and controls space. Is a lights out shooter with perfect technique and a quick release. Can score at all three levels.

Capable of attacking left or right and finishing with strength. Doesn't have overwhelming speed but is strong with the basketball, crafty, and gets separation. Has a dangerous runner when going left. Handles with strength and sees the floor. Competes and doesn't complicate the game. Rebounds his position and competes and plays with intelligence as a defender.

Meyer also predicted that Sheppard would be a first-round NBA draft pick.

He's ranked No. 37 on ESPN's list. Borzello and Biancardi gave a rundown of his game:

Sheppard is a high-end facilitator who can also make shots. He is fundamentally sound with no wasted motion on his jump shot, both off the catch or on a pull-up jumper in rhythm. He is dangerous in ball screens and understands how to create separation, whether he attacks the hedging defender, shoots behind the screen or finds the open man. Off the ball, Sheppard moves well to get open to find space for his jumper.

Sheppard had 15 offers, per 247Sports, including ones from Louisville, Iowa and Virginia.

Kentucky just improved its backcourt in a big way.

Cason Wallace, a 5-star combo guard from Richardson, Texas, committed to the Wildcats on Sunday.

"I chose Kentucky for a lot of different reasons; I built a close relationship with Coach Jai Lucas; he’d been recruiting me for a while," Wallace wrote in a first-person essay for Sports Illustrated. "When I went there, I loved everything about the vibe, and I knew that everybody really wanted me to be there."

Wallace is considered the No. 7 player overall in the Class of 2022, the No. 2 combo guard and the No. 1 player from the state of Texas, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The site compared him to Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, with Brandon Jenkins offering the following scouting report: 

One of, if not the best defender in the class. Wallace locks opponents up and controls each game with his length defensively. He keeps his man in front of him at all times, is a deflection magnet, and is one of the best transitional shot blockers in the country. Offensively, he is a bit mechanical but still very productive nonetheless. He is capable of putting points on the board from all three levels. He also can play on or off the ball and is similarly versatile in terms of his ability to play off a ball-screen or be an effective spot-up player on the weak-side of the floor. Wallace has the long-term upside to fill a role at the highest level of the sport for multiple years.

At 6'4" and 185 pounds, he'll have to bulk up some to match Smart's physicality (6'3", 220 pounds). But that's high praise nonetheless, given Smart is one of the NBA's best defenders and capable of locking down multiple positions. 

As for what Wallace believes are the strengths of his game, he told 247Sports' Travis Branham: "Leading the team, winning, playing hard on defense, hard on offense, scoring, steals and all of that."

If he provides that at the college level, Kentucky is going to be one happy squad.

The Wildcats are putting together yet another excellent recruiting class, with point guard Skyy Clark, a fellow 5-star recruit, also committed to the team. That follows a 2021 recruiting class that ranked No. 7 in the nation, per 247Sports, and included 5-star recruits TyTy Washington and Daimion Collins and 4-star power forward Bryce Hopkins. 

John Calipari always brings in a strong class. The 2022 edition is no exception.

UCLA received a massive boost to its 2022 recruiting class Monday with a commitment from 5-star center Adem Bona:

Just in: 5-star prospect Adem Bona — a 6-foot-10 big man — chooses between Kentucky and UCLA. pic.twitter.com/NfvEjo18XY

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 1, 2021

Bona is ranked as the No. 19 overall player and the fifth-best center among the 2022 group in 247Sports' composite rankings. The Prolific Prep standout is also rated as the No. 3 recruit out of California.

The 18-year-old Nigerian moved to Turkey as a teenager and rose to prominence while playing for the Turkish youth national team at the FIBA U16 European Championship in 2019.

After getting a taste of professional basketball with Pinar Karsiyaka in Turkey, he moved to the United States to play at Prolific Prep as a rapidly emerging top prospect.

Although his offensive game remains a work in progress, his lanky 6'9", 225-pound frame and high-end athleticism make him a potential impact defender right away in college.

In August 2019, Bona told FIBA Basketball he looked up to former Detroit Pistons star Ben Wallace, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

"I like Ben Wallace because he was an undersized big guy and he was aggressive all the time," he said. "He would take on guys bigger than him. He made defense fun for basketball. Before Ben Wallace, there wasn't much fun on defense in basketball. He made it fun. That's why I like him."

Bona also mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo as someone with a story that provides motivation: "It's a big inspiration. I watch a lot of Giannis videos. I watched his life story. It's an inspiration to me."

While he has plenty of development ahead of him to reach the NBA success of those players, it's clear he possesses a lot of raw potential.

For Mick Cronin and the Bruins, Bona likely won't be a game-changer at both ends right out of the gate, but he should make a defensive impact and showcase steady growth offensively.

As long as he acclimates himself well, it could be a short one-year stay at UCLA before he shifts his focus toward the 2023 NBA draft.