New Indiana commit Lamar Wilkerson: "I didn’t want to go to Kentucky and just be another guy."

The Big Blue Nation received some surprising news Tuesday afternoon: portal target Lamar Wilkerson committed to Indiana over Kentucky.

Kentucky appeared to be trending as the favorite leading into Wilkerson’s decision. The Sam Houston transfer guard visited both Indiana and UK over the weekend, canceling a scheduled trip to Auburn upon leaving Lexington on Monday. It came down to the Wildcats and Hoosiers, the latter ultimately winning out on the top 30 portal prospect.

After his decision was made public, Wilkerson hopped on The Field of 68 with Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman to talk about his commitment. Goodman asked Wilkerson why Indiana ended up being the choice over Kentucky. His response has ruffled some feathers within the fanbase.

“It was a pleasure to be recruited by Kentucky,” Wilkerson, arguably the best outside shooter to enter the portal this offseason, said. “But I didn’t want to go to Kentucky and just be another guy, that has already been to Kentucky. Hoosiers basketball, it’s a big-time name, and they haven’t been where they wanted to be.

“I trust Coach (Darian) DeVries and what’s bringing in and the type of coach he is and how he’s going to put us in position to win. We can do this together. It’s just going to make my story better, his story better, and Hoosier basketball will be back.”

Lamar Wilkerson: “I didn’t want to go to Kentucky and just be another guy.”

https://t.co/O4qGq00NJ0

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 15, 2025

The Indiana head coach made a move at the eleventh hour that may have ultimately tilted things in favor for the Hoosiers.

“It really wasn’t the pitch, it was him as a person. You can tell he’s very genuine about what he says. He believes in me,” said Wilkerson. “He actually flew out here today to come see me. That was big. That was major. I want to go where I’m a priority and that’s what Indiana makes me feel like, a priority.”

Wilkerson’s comments might make losing him to Indiana a bit easier to handle for Kentucky fans, but even still, there’s no denying this is a tough miss for the staff.

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