Big Blue Nation should pay close attention to the basketball recruiting radar, as the first commitment(s) to Kentucky’s 2021 class could come off the board soon.
Friday night was packed full of Kentucky basketball recruiting with rumors of commitments to go along with two new offers for the 2021 class.
Here is a recap of everything that happened Friday night into Saturday morning.
Will Nolan Hickman be the first commitment for Kentucky in 2021, and who is he?
Kentucky is in an excellent position with Nolan Hickman, a 6-foot-2 guard for the 2021 class. Rumors and recruiting buzz for Kentucky started circulating Friday night that a decision could be coming soon.
Hickman is rated a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. Hickman is the No. 76 overall player on Rivals while 247 Sports slots him at No. 30 in the 2021 class.
Hickman wasn’t on Big Blue Nation’s radar until late Friday night when Tipton Edits (the most well-known edit account for recruits) predicted him to commit to Kentucky. From that point, things began picking up, and things are trending towards Kentucky.
Ironically enough, Hickman was an AAU teammate of five-star forward Paolo Banchero, who caught the recruiting world by surprise with his commitment to Duke last Thursday. Watching Banchero gave Calipari and the UK coaching staff plenty of opportunities to evaluate his teammate, who scored 36 points in front of Calipari and Tony Barbee while they were watching Banchero last winter.
After playing for Eastside Catholic in Seattle last season, Hickman made a move to Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, for this season.
Kentucky offers 2021 forward Bryce Hopkins, who was once committed to Louisville
In addition to Hickman, Kentucky is also in a great spot with four-star forward Bryce Hopkins, who officially added an offer from Kentucky Friday night during a Zoom call with the UK coaching staff.
Hopkins, who was once committed to Louisville, reopened his recruitment earlier this month and instantly became a name to watch on the Kentucky radar.
Regardless of who joins Kentucky’s 2021 class, Hopkins would be a nice piece that will fit alongside whoever the Wildcats add during this cycle.
The Oak Park, Illinois, native holds offers from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Notre Dame, among others.
Hopkins’ recruitment is one to keep an eye on in the coming days with a lot of buzz to Kentucky floating around.
Entering Friday, only two players in the 2021 class held a confirmed offer from Kentucky, Jaden Hardy, and Patrick Baldwin Jr. That quickly changed Friday evening when the Wildcats offered Bryce Hopkins and five-star guard Hunter Sallis.
With Kenny Chandler choosing Tennessee earlier this month, Kentucky had to target new backcourt options for the 2021-22 season. The Millard North (Omaha, Nebraska) product is near the top of the list, along with five-star Jaden Hardy and now, Nolan Hickman.
Will Jai Lucas’ impact be immediately felt at Kentucky?
At this point, its not if but when Jai Lucas will be announced as a member of the UK staff.
The ball started rolling as soon as Kentucky posted a new basketball staff position titled “Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, a job created to bring in Lucas.
Go Big Blue Country learned Friday what everyone already expected. Kentucky is using the $900,000 salary left behind by Kenny Payne to give raises to Bruiser Flint (who announced he is joining the UK staff as an assistant coach) and Lucas.
When the news of Lucas to Kentucky becomes official, it will be interesting to watch how recruitments play out that the Texas assistant was leading the way in.
