4-Star Center Josh Irving Down to 3 Schools with Decision Coming Soon

2026 four-star center Josh Irving is down to three schools. After taking his official visit to Kentucky from Oct. 10-12, Irving has canceled his USC visit and is going into decision-making mode.

The 6-foot-11, 200-pound center from Pasadena (Pasadena, CA) told KSR+ that he is down to a final three of Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Louisville. Irving is looking to make his college decision next week. He recently shared his thoughts on each school in an interview with KSR+.

Kentucky: “The communication has been very friendly. They’re constantly telling me that I’m the one and that they think I could play SEC ball. [Kentucky] wouldn’t have thrown me the offer if they didn’t think I could do it. They think I have the potential to be one of the next big Kentucky stars, and they’d love to get me over there.”

Texas A&M: “Texas A&M is a good one. They think I can immediately make an impact. The way they saw me play over the summer, they see that I’m a very good three-point shooter in transition. They see that I’m very smart in terms of basketball IQ. They think I could fit into their offense immediately and start playing immediately. I’d have to learn sets, but it’s about common knowledge with when to cut, how to come off ball screens, and how to play. Even defensively, I’ll make a big impact. They love the shooting aspect of my game and how I can immediately make an impact on offense. They don’t think there’s a better fit than there.”

Louisville: “They see me as being similar to one of their former players. They think they’re a better fit because I represent what Louisville basketball is as a whole with my character and as a player. [Louisville] thinks I’d fit into their program really well. They see me as a rim protector, lob threat, and pick-and-roll kind of guy who can shoot the ball, being the cherry on top. [Louisville] sees me as a big guy who can also make an immediate impact on their program, and maybe come back for a year or two to make an even bigger impact. They also love my leadership qualities. They really love me and would love to have me over there.”

Josh Irving’s Game

Pasadena (California) four-star center Josh Irving is the nation’s No. 68 overall prospect according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. Rivals ranks Irving as the No. 6 center and the No. 40 overall player in the 2026 class.

“My greatest strength as a player is defense,” Irving said. “It’s very rare that you get a 6-foot-11 guy who can block a lot of shots at the rim. With that quality alone, I deter players from going to the rim.”

Irving also takes pride in his gravity on the floor. He watches a lot of film and notices that people tend to shift towards him when he’s on offense. A lot of that is due to his high-quality shooting ability, especially given his size.

“If I catch the ball inside, it’s very hard to stop me,” Irving said. “I can dribble away from the basket and hit a floater. It’s hard to get a good contest. I tend to get two people on me. In the games I’ve been playing in Las Vegas at the Border League, I’ve seen that I’m able to make a lot more assists. I’m able to make a quick move, and then they send a double team. Boom, somebody is open.”

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