New recruiting rankings confirm that UK basketball’s 2023 class will be a special one

Cameron Drummond

Since 1998, the RSCI (Recruiting Services Consensus Index) has taken all of the rankings from the nation’s top recruiting services and combined them into one single metric to get a composite of the top players in each men’s college basketball recruiting class.

Now in 2022, the RSCI factors in five different recruiting services when producing its composite rankings: 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN, On3 and longtime recruiting analyst Van Coleman.

For the first time for the 2023 class, the RSCI has tabulated the rankings following the summer recruiting periods.

The results reflect just how elite Kentucky basketball recruiting is at the moment.

All four current UK men’s basketball commits in the class of 2023 rank inside the top 25 of the RSCI:

▪ Justin Edwards (small forward) is No. 2.

▪ Aaron Bradshaw (center) is No. 7.

▪ Robert Dillingham (point guard) is No. 8.

▪ Reed Sheppard (combo guard) is No. 25.

Kentucky commit Justin Edwards is ranked No. 2 in the RSCI rankings for class of 2023 players.
Kentucky commit Justin Edwards is ranked No. 2 in the RSCI rankings for class of 2023 players.

As you may have suspected, the likely final player in UK’s 2023 recruiting class — combo guard DJ Wagner — is No. 1 in the RSCI rankings.

While the final RSCI rankings won’t be released until the spring or summer, everything is trending in the direction for Kentucky to land the No. 1 recruit in the final rankings, whether that’s Wagner or Edwards.

UK has not signed the RSCI’s No. 1 recruit since 2012, when Nerlens Noel tied Shabazz Muhammad for that honor. Anthony Davis was ranked No. 1 in 2011.

In addition to Sheppard, two other players from the commonwealth are featured in the RSCI rankings, which include 100 players.

Kaleb Glenn — a small forward from Louisville who is playing his senior season at La Lumiere prep school in Indiana — is ranked No. 75. Glenn is committed to Louisville.

George Washington III — a combo guard from Louisville who is playing his senior season at Chaminade Julienne Catholic in Dayton, Ohio, — is ranked No. 82. Washington was formerly committed to Ohio State, but decommitted from the Buckeyes.

DJ Wagner (21) is ranked No. 1 in the RSCI rankings for class of 2023 players.
DJ Wagner (21) is ranked No. 1 in the RSCI rankings for class of 2023 players.

Duke vs. Kentucky for top recruiting ranking in 2023

The race for the top recruiting class in 2022 — according to the RSCI — was presumed to be a battle between Duke and Kentucky, although that never fully materialized.

Duke ended up with the top recruiting class thanks to commitments from incoming freshmen Dariq Whitehead (No. 1), Dereck Lively (No. 2), Kyle Filipowski (No. 4), Mark Mitchell (No. 22), Jaden Schutt (No. 57) and Tyrese Proctor (No. 97).

UK ended up finishing ninth with Cason Wallace (No. 8) and Chris Livingston (No. 13) both coming to Lexington. The reclassification of Shaedon Sharpe played a major role in this low ranking.

Now, the Duke versus Kentucky battle is fully on for the top spot in 2023.

Duke currently has commitments in the class of 2023 from MacKenzie Mgbako (No. 4), Sean Stewart (No. 9), Caleb Foster (No. 13), Jared McCain (No. 18) and T.J. Power (No. 22).

Kentucky has commitments in the class of 2023 from Justin Edwards (No. 2), Aaron Bradshaw (No. 7), Robert Dillingham (No. 8) and Reed Sheppard (No. 25), along with an expected pledge from DJ Wagner (No. 1).

Currently, both Rivals and the 247Sports Composite have Duke just ahead of Kentucky in the team 2023 recruiting rankings.

Expect that to change when Wagner commits.

On3 already has the Cats ranked as the top recruiting class for 2023.

To determine the best recruiting class each year, the RSCI awards a point total to each Top 100 recruit, with the nation’s No. 1 player receiving 100 points, the No. 2 player getting 99 points, and so on, all the way down to one point for the No. 100 prospect on the list.

Currently, Duke has 439 total points, a point total that eclipses what Duke had last year (421 points) when it had the top recruiting class in the country by a large margin.

Duke’s current total would be the highest point total by a leading school since UK’s 2020 recruiting class totaled 449 points with Brandon Boston, Terrence Clarke, Isaiah Jackson, Devin Askew, Lance Ware and Cam’Ron Fletcher.

Currently, Kentucky has 362 total points, but that number would increase by 100 to 462 points — and pass Duke’s current total of 439 points — with a Wagner commitment.

How good would that mark of 462 points be?

The last school to have that many points was UK in 2017 when the Wildcats posted a record score of 582 points in the RSCI with commitments from Kevin Knox, Jarred Vanderbilt, PJ Washington, Nick Richards, Quade Green, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo and Jemarl Baker.

Kentucky’s Quade Green, left, PJ Washington, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Wenyen Gabriel and Kevin Knox gathered on the court during the SEC Tournament in 2018. Green, Washington, Gilgeous-Alexander and Knox were part of UK’s 2017 recruiting class, which ranks as the best in RSCI history.
Kentucky’s Quade Green, left, PJ Washington, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Wenyen Gabriel and Kevin Knox gathered on the court during the SEC Tournament in 2018. Green, Washington, Gilgeous-Alexander and Knox were part of UK’s 2017 recruiting class, which ranks as the best in RSCI history.

UK’s historical showings in the RSCI

Unsurprisingly, since the RSCI was created in 1998 — and especially since John Calipari became the head coach — Kentucky has been prominently featured in the rankings.

Here’s a breakdown of each Kentucky recruiting class since 1998 that appeared in the top 10 of the RSCI:

▪ 1998: 6th with 199 points — Tayshaun Prince, Jules Camara, Desmond Allison, Todd Tackett

▪ 1999: 5th with 204 points — Keith Bogans, Marvin Stone, Marquis Estill, Derek Smith

▪ 2004: 2nd with 258 points — Randolph Morris, Joe Crawford, Rajon Rondo, Ramel Bradley

▪ 2009: 1st with 365 points — John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Eric Bledsoe, Jon Hood

▪ 2010: 1st with 407 points — Brandon Knight, Enes Kanter, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Stacy Poole

▪ 2011: 1st with 374 points — Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Kyle Wiltjer

▪ 2012: 1st with 347 points — Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress, Archie Goodwin, Willie Cauley

▪ 2013: 1st with 557 points — Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, Dakari Johnson, James Young, Marcus Lee, Derek Willis

▪ 2014: 2nd with 346 points — Karl Towns, Trey Lyles, Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker

▪ 2015: 3rd with 270 points — Skal Labissiere, Isaiah Briscoe, Charles Matthews, Jamal Murray

▪ 2016: 1st with 448 points — De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo, Malik Monk, Wenyen Gabriel, Sacha Killeya-Jones

▪ 2017: 1st with 582 points — Kevin Knox, Jarred Vanderbilt, PJ Washington, Nick Richards, Quade Green, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Jemarl Baker

▪ 2018: 2nd with 411 points — E.J. Montgomery, Keldon Johnson, Ashton Hagans, Immanuel Quickley, Tyler Herro

▪ 2019: 2nd with 334 points — Tyrese Maxey, Kahlil Whitney, Keion Brooks, Johnny Juzang, Dontaie Allen

▪ 2020: 1st with 449 points — Brandon Boston, Terrence Clarke, Isaiah Jackson, Devin Askew, Lance Ware, Cam’Ron Fletcher

▪ 2021: 5th with 244 points — Daimion Collins, TyTy Washington, Bryce Hopkins

▪ 2022: 9th with 181 points — Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston

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