Kentucky men’s basketball hosting more potential freshmen for recruiting visits this week

It seems clear what John Calipari has in mind to try and strengthen the Kentucky men’s basketball roster for next season.

The Wildcats, remarkably, are still yet to add a player from the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. Instead, Kentucky appears focused on adding more freshmen to what already projects as one of the youngest teams in Division I men’s college basketball.

After hosting Jordan Burks — a three-star small forward — on a recruiting visit earlier this week, Kentucky was to host two more potential freshmen for recruiting visits Thursday in Lexington.

Somto Cyril — an elite center who is currently in the 2024 recruiting class — and Joey Hart, a class of 2023 shooting guard from Linton, Indiana, were both to visit Kentucky on Thursday.

While this shift in roster construction strategy is unorthodox in the landscape of modern college basketball, the fact remains Kentucky is still in a position where it simply needs more players for next season.

It was widely anticipated that Burks was going to commit to UK on Wednesday afternoon, but his commitment date has now shifted to Monday.

So for the time being, it appears the Wildcats are juggling three potential freshman additions for next season’s team, which already features five freshmen that comprise the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.

Elite center could reclassify

The headline visitor for Kentucky basketball on Thursday was Somto Cyril, who is currently part of the 2024 recruiting class.

Cyril was a teammate last season with incoming Kentucky freshman Robert Dillingham on the Cold Hearts team in the Overtime Elite pro basketball league (OTE) in Atlanta.

Cyril posted per-game averages of 8.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks during the regular season, cementing himself as one of the most physically imposing college basketball prospects in the nation.

Cyril was named the Overtime Elite Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts.

The Nigerian began the OTE season playing for the City Reapers team, which featured projected 2023 NBA Draft lottery picks Amen and Ausar Thompson.

In the 247Sports Composite rankings, Cyril is ranked as a four-star recruit who is the No. 4 center in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 29 player overall among class of 2024 players.

But Cyril — who is nicknamed “Baby Shaq” and listed on his OTE roster page as 6-foot-10 and 241 pounds — has the option to reclassify to the 2023 recruiting class since he graduated this year.

There’s also recent precedent for Kentucky taking a big man who moved up in the recruiting cycle: Ugonna Onyenso, who figures to be an important piece of the UK frontcourt as a second-year player next season, moved from the 2023 recruiting class to the 2022 class last summer when he joined the Cats a year early.

Joey Hart could offer shooting

Hart, the other recruit set to visit Kentucky on Thursday, has already been through the recruiting process once.

A class of 2023 shooting guard from small town Indiana, Hart committed to Central Florida last August and signed his national letter of intent with the Knights last November.

But he was released from that letter in May, which reopened the recruiting process for Hart.

Listed as 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds by 247Sports, Hart averaged more than 23 points per game and was a 41% three-point shooter as a high school senior last season for Linton-Stockton High School, and he was named an Indiana All-Star for his efforts.

Hart was also a standout shooter during his time on the Under Armour grassroots circuit.

This means Hart is set to remain in the commonwealth for the start of the annual Kentucky-Indiana All-Stars series on Friday night in Owensboro.

As one may expect, Kentucky isn’t the only school in pursuit of Hart, who took an unofficial visit to the hometown Indiana Hoosiers this week. Interest in Hart has also been reported from Rutgers and Texas.

KENTUCKY MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER OUTLOOK

Here’s a current breakdown of the scholarship players joining and leaving the Cats from last season, along with the still existing question mark of where Antonio Reeves will play another college basketball season.

Incoming players: Aaron Bradshaw (freshman center), Robert Dillingham (freshman guard), Justin Edwards (freshman small forward), Reed Sheppard (freshman guard), DJ Wagner (freshman guard).

Returning players: Brennan Canada (fifth-year guard), Ugonna Onyenso (sophomore forward), Adou Thiero (sophomore guard).

Outgoing players: Daimion Collins (forward, transferred to LSU), CJ Fredrick (guard, transferred to Cincinnati), Chris Livingston (forward, NBA Draft), Jacob Toppin (forward, NBA Draft), Oscar Tshiebwe (forward, NBA Draft), Cason Wallace (guard, NBA Draft), Lance Ware (forward, transferred to Villanova), Sahvir Wheeler (guard, transferred to Washington).

Yet to be announced: Antonio Reeves (guard, returning to college basketball).

Examining the huge risk John Calipari may be taking with the UK basketball roster

How many ex-Kentucky basketball players are still in college? Enough to fill a whole team.