Kentucky basketball recruits will take center stage at Hoophall Classic. Here’s what to know.
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The Hoophall Classic — an annual showcase event with games featuring the best high school basketball players and teams in the country — is set for its 2024 edition.
Held at Blake Arena at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, the games are played only 2 miles from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The talent on display at the Hoophall Classic — which runs from Thursday through Monday — attracts the top college basketball coaches and recruiters in the nation. Last year, Kentucky head coach John Calipari was on hand to watch current Wildcats Aaron Bradshaw and D.J. Wagner play at the event.
And given the way Kentucky’s schedule lines up with a Saturday afternoon road game at Texas A&M before a Wednesday night home game against Mississippi State, Calipari and UK’s assistant coaches will almost assuredly be at Blake Arena over the next few days.
From Kentucky commits in action to a potential sixth member of the 2024 UK recruiting class announcing his college decision, there’s plenty to watch for at this year’s Hoophall Classic.
Here’s a Kentucky basketball guide to the event.
Future Wildcats Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond to play at Hoophall
This weekend’s Hoophall Classic will include two players set to become Kentucky Wildcats in a few months’ time.
Class of 2024 signees Boogie Fland and Billy Richmond will both be at the event.
Fland, a dynamic guard who committed to and signed with UK in the fall, won’t be far from home with his Archbishop Stepinac High School team, which is located in White Plains, New York, just outside of New York City and only about 120 miles from Blake Arena.
Kentucky won a significant recruiting battle with Indiana to earn Fland’s commitment.
“Guys want to play with him. He’s one of those point guards that makes everybody better. He can score, he’s a good shooter, he finds people,” Calipari said of Fland in November. “What I’ve seen, there are times that he’s off the charts, like he’ll go to these events and all-star stuff and end up being the best player on the court.”
Richmond hasn’t yet signed with Kentucky, but that’s because he hasn’t had the opportunity to. The four-star wing — originally from Memphis, but high school teammates last season with current UK players Bradshaw and Wagner at Camden (New Jersey) High School — committed to Kentucky in late December, just hours before UK won at Louisville.
UK was picked by Richmond over a small group of finalists that also included Alabama, LSU and Memphis.
“The reason I picked Kentucky is (a) great coaching staff: Calipari always keeps it real with me,” Richmond said in an interview with NBA insider Shams Charania, during which Richmond announced his commitment to Kentucky.
Richmond will have to wait until the spring signing period, which starts in April, before he can officially ink his national letter of intent to come to Lexington.
Richmond’s father (of the same name) previously played for Calipari at Memphis.
VJ Edgecombe likely to make college choice at Hoophall Classic
All signs are pointing to a major college basketball commitment being made at the Hoophall Classic, and it’s a choice Kentucky will be invested in significantly.
VJ Edgecombe — a five-star shooting guard in the 2024 class — appears likely to announce his college commitment during the event. He’s down to three schools in his recruitment: Baylor, Duke and Kentucky.
Born in The Bahamas, Edgecombe has vaulted up recruiting rankings over the past year thanks largely to his ability to score in a variety of ways: At the rim, in the mid-range, from behind the 3-point line and in transition.
The fact that UK is even involved in his recruitment at this stage speaks to the momentum Calipari currently has on the recruiting trail.
Edgecombe — who plays high school basketball for Long Island Lutheran (LuHi) on Long Island in New York state — didn’t even have a scholarship offer from the Wildcats when he released a top-10 list of post-high school playing options in July.
But UK offered him a scholarship in the middle of September, and the Cats made a fast impression on the 6-foot-5, 180-pound shooting guard.
UK hosted Edgecombe on an official visit in late October, and in late November, both Calipari and UK associate coach Orlando Antigua watched Edgecombe and his LuHi team play at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Western Kentucky.
Edgecombe’s college decision carries plenty of weight.
Should he pick Kentucky, Edgecombe would become UK’s highest-ranked newcomer for next season, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) and the 247Sports Composite.
If Edgecombe were to choose either Duke or Kentucky, that school would be all but guaranteed the top recruiting class in the 2024 cycle. Both schools have five commits in the 2024 class.
Edgecombe and his LuHi team are playing two games at the Hoophall Classic, and it’s been reported the Duke coaching staff will be on hand Monday for the second of these games.
Kentucky basketball viewing guide for Hoophall Classic
The 2024 Hoophall Classic was to begin Thursday afternoon with games running through Monday, but only some of those contests will hold an immediate interest for Kentucky basketball.
Below is a complete list of the games featuring UK recruits, commits and signees, along with viewing options for those contests.
The Herald-Leader will have an in-person presence for each of these games, as well as a live updates page on Kentucky.com that will be running throughout the event.
Saturday, Jan. 13
▪ 10:30 a.m. (NBA TV and NBA app) — Camden (New Jersey) vs. North Mecklenburg (North Carolina).
Camden: 2024 UK commit Billy Richmond (6-5, 200-pound small forward).
▪ 4 p.m. (NBA YouTube and NBA app) — Christopher Columbus (Florida) vs. Long Island Lutheran (New York).
Columbus: 2025 UK recruits Cameron Boozer (6-9, 235-pound power forward) and Cayden Boozer (6-3, 190-pound point guard).
Long Island Lutheran: 2024 UK recruit VJ Edgecombe (6-5, 180-pound shooting guard).
▪ 9 p.m. (NBA YouTube and NBA app) — Grayson (Georgia) vs. Perry (Arizona).
Perry: 2025 UK recruit Koa Peat (6-8, 235-pound power forward).
Sunday, Jan. 14
▪ 3:45 p.m. (ESPN+) — Sunrise Christian Academy (Kansas) vs. IMG Academy (Florida)
IMG: 2025 UK recruit Darius Acuff Jr. (6-3, 180-pound point guard).
▪ 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2) — Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) vs. Archbishop Stepinac (New York)
Archbishop Stepinac: 2024 UK signee Boogie Fland (6-2, 170-pound combo guard).
▪ 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) — Montverde Academy (Florida) vs. Prolific Prep (California)
Prolific Prep: 2025 UK recruits AJ Dybantsa (6-9, 200-pound small forward) and Tyran Stokes (6-7, 245-pound power forward).
Monday, Jan. 15
▪ 1 p.m. (ESPNU) — Paul VI (Virginia) vs. Christopher Columbus (Florida)
Columbus: 2025 UK recruits Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer.
▪ 3 p.m. (ESPNU) — Arizona Compass Prep (Arizona) vs. Long Island Lutheran (New York)
Long Island Lutheran: 2024 UK recruit VJ Edgecombe.
▪ 5 p.m. (ESPNU) — Link Academy (Missouri) vs. IMG Academy (Florida)
Link: 2025 UK recruit Jasper Johnson (6-foot-4, 170-pound combo guard).
IMG: 2025 UK recruit Darius Acuff Jr.
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UK recruit Tyran Stokes, only a sophomore, enjoys his basketball homecoming in Louisville
AJ Dybantsa is the next generational basketball prospect. He’s a top UK recruiting target.
‘We’re all recruiting.’ Kentucky basketball coaches explain how 2024 class came together.
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