Breaking down all 4 Wednesday offers extended by Kentucky MBB

We’ve beaten this narrative to death over the last 36 hours, but Kentucky men’s basketball head coach John Calipari truly does appear to be taking a more aggressive approach with the next batch of top recruits. Beginning Wednesday, June 15 at 12:01 a.m. EST, college coaches were allowed to make individual contact with rising high school juniors, or class of 2024 prospects. Not even a full day later, Calipari and his staff had already extended four scholarship offers to recruits all ranked among the On3 Consensus top 10.

Looking at Kentucky’s approach during the contact period at this time in 2021, the ‘Cats had offered just one player: 6-foot-8 wing JJ Taylor, who was then a clear-cut five-star but has since seen his stock drop considerably in recent months. It wasn’t until the next day in the middle of the afternoon that the second offer was announced, which was gifted to Jalen Lewis, another former five-star who ultimately chose the Overtime Elite professional route over college.

Taylor’s recruitment is still open, but it’s looking like Kentucky will go 0-2 on their top two Big Board targets from a year ago. Calipari still has a great chance at bringing in a talented haul of players from the ’23 class, but he has seemingly learned from that experience last summer, dolling out a quartet of offers within 24 hours of the contact period on Wednesday, while expressing interest in at least 11 more ’24 prospects.

But will the more aggressive approach pay off? Let’s dive into the four targets that received UK offers on Wednesday to see where the ‘Cats stand with each of them.

*All rankings are courtesy of the On3 Consensus*

Tre Johnson (SG) – Lake Highlands (TX) No. 2 overall

Measurables: 6-5, 180 pounds

Kentucky’s newest assistant coach, KT Turner, who has officially been with the program for only a little over a week, is already putting his recruiting chops to the test. He has significant ties to the state of Texas and should do well in that area in replace of Jai Lucas. Turner actually met with the media for the first time on Wednesday afternoon, and not even 10 minutes into his interview, Tre Johnson announced an offer from UK.

Johnson is a Texas native, which helped forge the easy connection with Turner and Kentucky. Johnson recently told KSR that following Lucas’ departure to Duke, it didn’t break his relationship with UK. If anything, it only reinforced in Johnson’s mind that Calipari really wants him in the fold. Turner has smoothly picked it up from there.

“It shows that they really want me as a player, they really have interest in me,” Johnson told KSR. “That means a lot to me.”

Kentucky has been building a solid bond with Johnson early in his recruitment and the offer on day one of the contact period will likely go a long way. Calipari and Turner won’t be alone though in their efforts. Duke, Auburn, and LSU all offered Johnson on Wednesday, as well, with the likes of Gonzaga, Baylor, Texas, and Arkansas all heavily interested.

On’3 Scouting Report

“Tre Johnson has a good frame with plenty of room to continue adding muscle. His calling card is his shooting. Johnson is a knockdown shooter with deep range, able to make shots off the catch or the bounce. We would like to see him continue to develop his handle in the half-court and become more of a secondary-type ball handler. Johnson has a smooth game, he does not get rushed. He is a solid athlete and he plays with the utmost confidence and smoothness.” — Jamie Shaw

Ian Jackson (SG) – Cardinal Hayes (NY) No. 3 overall

Measurables: 6-4, 170 pounds

Possibly the top target on the Big Board for Kentucky from the ’24 class, Ian Jackson is playing well above his competition level. Talk of reclassification to the ’23 class is on the table, but not anywhere close to being a done deal at this moment. Pro Insight’s Andrew Slater tweeted on Wednesday that Jackson would be staying in the ’24 class.

Regardless, Kentucky is seen as the early frontrunner for Jackson, who received the first offer of the day from the program, which came as no surprise to those following closely. It was something Jackson was looking forward to receiving, too. He’s been speaking the most with assistant coach Orlando Antigua so far in his recruitment.

“It would mean a lot,” Jackson told KSR. “It would definitely mean a lot, knowing they were one of my dream schools growing up. That’s a school I’ve been looking forward to going to, hopefully going to. That would mean a lot to me.”

What’s the appeal of Kentucky? The opportunity to play for Calipari and develop into a pro.

“I would be able to play for John Calipari,” he said. “There’s a lot that he knows about making a pro and he would help me do what it takes to become a pro.”

Jackson has been compared to former Wildcat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the past, a player Jackson watched closely while growing up. Kentucky’s main competition right now for his services are the likes of North Carolina, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Missouri, and Auburn.

On’3 Scouting Report

“Ian Jackson is a high-level athlete. He has long arms, broad shoulders, and explosive athleticism in the paint. Jackson has confidence with the ball in his hands, he is decisive in getting downhill to the rim. He can rise up and finish above the rim, and pull up in the mid-range with an assortment of floaters and pull-ups. Jackson is a capable shooter from three, but he still needs polish with this part of his game. His shot selection can get a little wild at times. He is comfortable on the ball, but would like to see him see the floor better. He has natural athletic tools and the utmost confidence. Jackson can be a high-level defender who gives great effort.” — Jamie Shaw

Isaiah Elohim (SG) – Sierra Canyon (CA) No. 5 overall

Measurables: 6-5, 205 pounds

While Tre Johnson and Ian Jackson are on the skinnier side for shooting guards, Isaiah Elohim is on the stockier side at the same position, but in a way that has college programs fawning over him. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame is what stands out first about Elohim, who uses that size to his advantage when attacking defenders and keeping opposing ball handlers in front of him.

There’s been a lot to love about the Sierra Canyon product this spring and Kentucky clearly saw the same thing, handing him the school’s third offer on Wednesday. Elohim told On3’s Joe Tipton back in February that he expected to hear from the ‘Cats once the contact period began and his prediction almost immediately came true.

“I definitely like Coach Cal and what he brings to the table as far as players in the past, like Devin Booker,” Elohim also told Tipton. “I see a lot of similarities in our game and Coach Cal developed him into a really good player. I just like how he develops players and gets a lot of players in the league.”

Of the four offers handed out Wednesday by Kentucky, Elohim’s might have been the biggest surprise. Not that he’s not talented enough — because he has shown this spring that he is — but more so that the buzz surrounding him and the ‘Cats was not as high coming into the contact period as it was with the likes of Johnson or Jackson.

On’3 Scouting Report

“Isiah Elohim is a strong-framed, long-armed wing. At this stage, even with his age, production is the name of his game. He is a straight-line driver to the basket. He is confident and decisive getting downhill toward the basket. He needs to continue developing his handle, with some counters, and loosen up his hips. Elohim is a good rebounder, and not afraid to stick his nose into the mix. He can knock down a jump shot with three-point range off the catch. Even playing with guys two and three years older, Elohim produces.”

Karter Knox (SF) – Tampa Catholic (FL) No. 10 overall

Measurables: 6-5, 180 pounds

You likely know Karter Knox’s story at this point. He’s the younger brother of former Wildcat Kevin Knox, who now plays for the Atlanta Hawks, by five years. Karter plays in the same Florida-based high school gym that Kevin did, which is now named the Kevin Knox II Fieldhouse. Karter lives a bit in his older brother’s shadow but is a worthy top 10 prospect in his own right.

While the connection to Kentucky is obvious, his connection to Lousiville might be more significant right now. His older brother’s relationship with UK was built on the back of then-assistant Kenny Payne, who is now the head coach of the Cardinals. Payne extended an offer to Karter on May 31 and the two sides have a high mutual interest in each other.

Karter told KSR earlier this month that he was hoping to hear from Kentucky moving forward. Thanks to his impressive play on the Nike EYBL circuit and a solid outing at the Pangos All-American Camp, the ‘Cats decided to reciprocate that interest on opening day of the contact period. UK should be a major player in Karter’s recruitment.

“Growing up before Kevin committed to Kentucky, I was not really watching Kentucky at all,” Karter said. “But when Kevin went there — Coach Cal treats everyone like family, he treated me like family. And coach KP, Kenny Payne. It was kind of a blessing that (Kevin) went there because obviously he got better.”

Along with Kentucky and Louisville, Karter has earned offers from the likes of Texas, Kansas, Auburn, and LSU.

On’3 Scouting Report

*No scouting report currently available.*