DJ Wagner headlines high-profile visitors list for Kentucky basketball's Big Blue Madness

Kentucky basketball's 2022-23 season gets into swing Friday with the annual Big Blue Madness tipoff event, but the recruiting grind doesn't stop for head coach John Calipari.

A host of talented prospects will yet again be front and center at Rupp Arena when the Wildcats take the court for their first official practice, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network. Among the group is the No. 1 hooper in the 2023 class, DJ Wagner, who remains undecided in his college decision but could soon call Lexington home.

Wagner, who stars at Camden High School in South Jersey, has been the subject of a heated recruiting battle between Calipari and first-year Louisville coach Kenny Payne. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has family ties to both programs, but signs point to him favoring the Wildcats.

For starters, Wagner has not yet taken an official visit to U of L, and 247Sports has reported that won't change when the Cardinals host their annual tipoff event, Louisville Live, on Oct. 21. Wagner is, however, making at least his third trip to UK since 2018 this weekend.

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Then, on Monday, Wagner was introduced as a member of the Nike Basketball family. The Oregon-based company is Kentucky's longtime apparel sponsor; Louisville is an Adidas school.

Former U of L Associate Athletic Director Matt Banker told the Courier Journal in July that Wagner could still pursue Nike endorsement opportunities independently if he were to sign with the Cardinals, so that partnership doesn't rule out Payne's chances of landing the guard entirely. But Wagner will be in Lexington on Friday, and Louisville is preparing to roll out the red carpet for another top 2023 prospect at the position, A.J. Johnson, next weekend.

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Here is a running list of the recruits who will reportedly be joining Wagner at Big Blue Madness:

Airious "Ace" Bailey

Position: Forward

High school: McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia)

Class: 2024

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: 5 stars

What to know: Airious "Ace" Bailey received a scholarship offer from Calipari on Sept. 15. The 6-10 Georgia product is the No. 3 wing and No. 6 overall talent in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. Bailey has reported scholarship offers from the likes of Auburn, Murray State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas.

Aaron Bradshaw

Position: Center

High school: Camden High School (Camden, New Jersey)

Class: 2023

College commitment status: Undecided, announcing Nov. 16

247Sports Composite rating: 5 stars

What to know: 247Sports' top-ranked center in the 2023 class, Aaron Bradshaw is down to several options for his future, including Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Southern California, Texas, UCLA and the NBA G League. The 7-footer, who has played with Wagner at Camden High School and on the EYBL circuit, is making his second visit to Lexington this weekend after stopping by in June, but he also paid a visit to Kenny Payne and the Cardinals while he was in the commonwealth. Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Monday that UK fans should be "cautiously optimistic" about landing Bradshaw's pledge when he announces Nov. 16.

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Julian Bunton

Position: Guard

High school: DeSales (Louisville)

Class: 2025

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: N/A

What to know: Julian Bunton scored just 8 points during 10 appearances for Butler as a freshman but is drawing Division I interest heading into his first season at DeSales. Louisville assistant coach Nolan Smith and Bellarmine head coach Scott Davenport stopped by the Colts' gym to watch Bunton work out in September, and the 6-3 guard reportedly visited Western Kentucky's Pro Day on Oct. 13. Bunton, who impressed while directing his new team's offense during the Titans Rockets Summer Showcase over the summer in Shelbyville, has said he is on track to graduate in 2024 but plans to enroll in a postgrad prep program before entering the college ranks.

Justin Edwards

Position: Forward

High school: Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Class: 2023

College commitment status: Kentucky

247Sports Composite rating: 5 stars

What to know: The top-rated small forward and No. 3 overall talent in the 2023 class, Justin Edwards committed to Kentucky over Southeastern Conference rival Tennessee on July 25. The 6-7 wing is a playmaker on defense and showcased his scoring versatility during the EYBL's Peach Jam by averaging 16.3 points and seven rebounds per game for Team Final. Other contenders for Edwards’ commitment included: Auburn; Kansas; Maryland; Villanova; and the NBA G League.

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Kieran Granville-Britten

Position: Center

High school: Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Class: 2025

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating:

What to know: Kieran Granville-Britten heads into his sophomore season with Taft looking to win back-to-back OHSAA Division III state championships. As a freshman, the 6-8, 225-pound center averaged 7.5 points on 48.6% shooting and grabbed a team-high 10.4 rebounds per game. Granville-Britten's lone reported scholarship offer thus far is from Grambling State, but more college coaches should come calling as the big man continues to progress.

Ian Jackson

Position: Guard

High school: Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, New York)

Class: 2024

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: 5 stars

What to know: Calipari extended a scholarship offer to Ian Jackson, the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 class, over the summer. At 6-6, the guard has been drawing a lot of attention heading into his junior season with Cardinal Hayes after playing with Wagner for the United States in the FIBA U17 World Cup during the summer. Jackson is reportedly visiting LSU and North Carolina in November and has offers from the likes of Kansas, Pittsburgh, Season Hall, UCLA and UConn.

Jasper Johnson

Position: Guard

High school: Woodford County (Versailles)

Class: 2025

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: N/A

What to know: Coming in at No. 16 on ESPN's top 25 prospects in the 2025 class, Jasper Johnson enters his sophomore season at Woodford County looking to build on a team-high 13.8 points per game on 50.9% shooting last year. The 6-4 guard is the son of former Kentucky football standout Dennis Johnson and has earned reported scholarship offers from Alabama, Cal State Bakersfield, Eastern Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio State and Radford. Louisville coaches have also reportedly been in contact with Johnson and watched him play for Team Thad on the EYBL circuit.

Karter Knox

Position: Forward

High school: Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Florida)

Class: 2024

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: 5 stars

What to know: The younger brother of former Kentucky phenom Kevin Knox, Karter Knox earned an offer from Calipari in June. At 6-6, Knox is the No. 2 wing and No. 5 overall talent in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He also has an offer to play at U of L and plans to attend its Louisville Live tipoff event Oct. 21. Other contenders for his pledge include: Auburn, Arizona State, Boise State, Florida State and Illinois.

Dink Pate

Position: Guard

High school: Pinkston (Dallas, Texas)

Class: 2024

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

What to know: Dink Pate has not yet received a scholarship offer from Calipari but is planning to stop by Big Blue Madness on an unofficial visit, according to Travis Graf of Rivals. The 6-7 guard is the No. 14 prospect at this position and the No. 67 overall talent in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. Pate has more than 10 reported scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Indiana, LSU, Mississippi State and Texas Tech.

Travis Perry

Position: Guard

High school: Lyon County (Eddyville)

Class: 2024

College commitment status: Undecided

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

What to know: More than a dozen Division I programs, including Kentucky, have extended scholarship offers to Travis Perry before he begins his junior season at Lyon County. Having played for the Lions since the seventh grade, the 6-2 guard is on pace to break Kelly "King" Coleman's state scoring record (4,337), which has stood since 1956. Perry has visited Michigan, Purdue and Vanderbilt over the past month.

Reed Sheppard

Position: Guard

High school: North Laurel (London, Kentucky)

Class: 2023

College commitment status: Kentucky

247Sports Composite rating: 4 stars

What to know: Legacy commit Reed Sheppard stepped into the national spotlight over the summer by dropping 16 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists against fellow UK pledge Robert Dillingham during an AAU game in Las Vegas that was televised on ESPN. Now, the rising senior is focused on ending his time at North Laurel High School on a high note — and recruiting talented prospects like Bradshaw and Wagner to join him at Kentucky. He'll be hard pressed to find a better environment to sell the program than the extravagant Big Blue Madness.

Reed Sheppard:As his star grows, the UK basketball commit eyes a 2023 recruiting superclass

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball recruiting: Who's attending Big Blue Madness?