Kentucky Recruiting Targets Participate at Nike Academy After Two UK Players Participated in College Session

Los Angeles played host to some of college basketball’s best players last week for the Nike Academy. Kentucky players Kam Williams and Denzel Aberdeen represented the Cats.

Williams and Aberdeen were joined by 20 other players across college basketball, including Purdue’s Braden Smith, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, and UConn’s Braylon Mullins.

It’s been an eventful summer for Williams, a 6-foot-8 transfer forward from Tulane. In addition to the Nike Academy, Williams also recently worked out with Steph Curry at the Curry Camp in the Bay Area.

“Kam Williams came in here as an elite, elite, elite-level shooter,” Mark Pope told Matt Norlander this week on CBS Sports’ Summer Shootaround. “By the end of the summer, we’re like, is he gonna be our top defender? Our second or third-best defender? He led us in DIM numbers, which is a Defensive Impact Metric for us. He was tied for first in blocked shots. He was fourth in rebouning. He’s got a chance, we’re really, really excited about him.”

Aberdeen, a 6-foot-5 guard transfer from Florida, has been earning similar praise from Pope. In the same interview with Norlander, Pope gave Aberdeen his due.

“I mean, you think about DA. He’s got a national championship ring on his finger, and in our one week off, where we’ve told these guys they’re banned from the gym, these guys are still breaking in. That’s the type of group we have.”

High School Players Are Now Participating

The Nike Academy returned on Wednesday for the high school session, which will run from August 20-22. Kentucky doesn’t have any 2026 commits yet, but several key targets are participating.

No. 1-ranked forward Tyran Stokes headlines the event. The 6-foot-8 forward from Notre Dame (Louisville, KY) has already taken official visits to Kentucky, Louisville, and Kansas, with trips to USC, Oregon, and Gonzaga upcoming.

Other Kentucky targets in attendance include 2026’s Bryson Howard, Ikenna Alozie, Cole Cloer, Brandon McCoy, Maximo Adams, Christian Collins, Qayden Samuels, Cam Williams, Arafan Diane, and Baba Oladotun. 2027 Kentucky targets in attendance include CJ Rosser, Marcus Spears, and Obinna Ekezie Jr.. Ryan Hampton, who is receiving UK interest, but doesn’t have an offer is there as well.

Several of the players in attendance have set up official visits to Kentucky. KSR+ is tracking the full list of official visitors on the KSBoard.

Sayon Keita: July 30
Maximo Adams: Sept. 5-6
Caleb Holt: Sept. 12-14
Cole Cloer: Sept. 17-18
Anthony Thompson: Sept. 24
Arafan Diane: Sept. 26-27
Cam Williams: Sept. 26-28
Deron Rippey Jr.: Oct. 3-5
Christian Collins: Oct. 3-5
Bryson Howard: Oct. 4-6
Ethan Taylor: Oct. 10-12 (Big Blue Madness)
Josh Irving: Oct. 10-12 (Big Blue Madness)
Jordan Smith Jr.: Oct. 10-12 (Big Blue Madness)