Now the top prospect in 2027, Bruce Branch III is hearing from Kentucky "almost every day"

After an impressive week at the adidas 3SSB Championships in Rock Hill, SC, Bruce Branch III has solidified himself as the top overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle — and Kentucky is in his ear.
Branch was listed as the best rising high school junior in the country on Tuesday by Rivals’ Jamie Shaw. Playing up a level on the 17U circuit for Compton Magic, his run in Rock Hill had him among the top individual performers at the event. At 6-foot-7 with a natural feel for the game, he projects as the ideal prototype for an NBA wing on both ends of the floor. Across five games played last week, Branch averaged 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per outing. He scored in double figures in all five contests, including a 28-point showing to kick off the week.
“With Branch, you see the physical tools,” Shaw wrote. “Someone who has plus size with good length and a frame that projects well as he continues to grow. He is a good athlete and has natural anticipation on both ends of the floor.”
Branch had plenty of college coaches watching him closely in Rock Hill. Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and his assistants, Cody Fueger and Jason Hart, were courtside regulars for Compton Magic games. Branch has yet to publicly announce an offer from Kentucky, but there is serious mutual interest from both parties.
“My boy Fueger, one of my guys right now, he’s texting me almost every day,” Branch told KSR last week. “We be FaceTiming, talking. I saw him in the stands right now, that’s one of my guys.”
“We just talk about everything,” he added. “Last time he called me, we talked about the tournament, talked about family, my mom, my brother. The thing about Fueger is he always asks how my day is. That’s one thing about me, I love conversation, I love relationships, and building a relationship really helps.”
Only a handful of 2027 recruits hold scholarships from the Wildcats, but don’t be shocked if an offer comes sooner rather than later for Branch, who says his recruitment mostly flows through his mother. Pope and Fueger reached out to him once the contact period opened on June 15. Branch is already attracted to the way Pope coaches his team.
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“One thing is they all play together,” Branch said of Kentucky. “No one’s one-on-oneing, no one is ‘Oh I’m coming down the court, I’m gonna get mine.’ Everyone’s getting the ball, everyone’s moving the ball around, cut, swing, flares, down screens. That’s my type of offense.”
Branch already holds plenty of high-major Division I offers. The likes of West Virginia, Xavier, Texas, LSU, UCLA, Southern California, Virginia, Tennessee, Houston, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Louisville, Arizona, Kansas, and more have reached out with scholarships. He does not have any visits lined up at this time, adding that he plans to focus on improving his game for the time being. Branch recently transferred to Prolific Prep (FL) for next season, where he’ll team up alongside another Kentucky target, five-star 2026 guard Caleb Holt.
“I need to get stronger, I need to play faster, I need to be smarter,” Branch said. “I need to make better plays, better options, I need to create for my team more, stop looking for me, start looking for others.”
Branch is still a ways away from making any sort of commitment decision, but Pope and Fueger have put the Wildcats in good shape early in his process.
“It’s Kentucky,” he said. “That’s Big Blue. Everybody knows Kentucky.”
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