Live updates: Kentucky men’s basketball commits, recruits in action at Hoophall Classic

One of the most prestigious, and highly anticipated, prep basketball weekends of the year is already upon us.

The 2024 edition of the Spalding Hoophall Classic — held on the campus of Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where James Naismith invented the game of basketball — began Thursday, and kicks into high gear this weekend with a slew of top prep basketball players and teams in action.

From a Kentucky men’s basketball perspective, the main attraction this weekend will be a pair of players who are set to become Wildcats next season.

Combo guard Boogie Fland (a UK signee) and wing Billy Richmond (who committed to the Cats in December) will both be in action.

Sunday night will offer a seismic moment in the college basketball recruiting landscape as well: Five-star class of 2024 shooting guard VJ Edgecombe — the highest-ranked uncommitted player in this recruiting class — will be announcing his college decision.

Edgecombe is choosing between Baylor, Duke and Kentucky.

Additionally, several other top Kentucky recruits will be playing in the nationally televised event: This group includes class of 2025 combo guard and Central Kentucky native Jasper Johnson, 2025 power forward Koa Peat (who recently included UK in his top 10 list) and both Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer who have both already taken an official visit to Kentucky.

The Herald-Leader has an in-person presence inside Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus this weekend, and will provide plenty of updates on the action, as well as coverage afterward.

The most recent updates will appear below.

Kentucky basketball recruits will take center stage at Hoophall Classic. Here’s what to know.

With UK still under consideration, Koa Peat plays at Hoophall

It’s been a big few days for class of 2025 power forward Koa Peat.

He released a list of the 10 schools that he’s still considering as a college basketball option (which includes Kentucky), and then made the trek East with his Perry (Arizona) High School team to partake in the Hoophall Classic.

Perry’s lone game at this year’s Hoophall came as the closing act to Saturday’s proceedings, and resulted in a 64-63 buzzer-beating win over Grayson (Georgia) High School.

Peat, who is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 5 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, went for 23 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks in the defeat.

In the first half alone Peat was dominant: Perry built a five-point halftime lead largely thanks to Peat’s offense (13 first-half point on 5-for-6 shooting from the field) and his defense (5 blocks and 4 rebounds in the opening half).

Within the opening 40 seconds of the second half, that Perry lead had grown to 10 points thanks to an And-One finish inside by Peat.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis (who earlier in the day led the Tar Heels to a big home win over Syracuse) was inside Blake Arena for Peat’s big game.

UNC is also among Peat’s top 10 schools.

Top UK recruits Cameron, Cayden Boozer go up against VJ Edgecombe

While the Kentucky men’s basketball team played out an eventual 97-92 overtime loss at Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon, a trio of Kentucky recruits took to the hardwood at the Hoophall Classic.

The 4 p.m. Saturday game between Christopher Columbus (Florida) and Long Island Lutheran (New York) featured class of 2025 stars (and twin brothers) Cameron and Cayden Boozer going up against class of 2024 five-star VJ Edgecombe.

A capacity crowd gathered inside Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus for the matchup, won by Columbus, 81-62.

Cameron Boozer — ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class — produced a high-quality outing with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists.

The 6-foot-9 power forward excels at all levels of the game, possesses good passing vision and uses his supreme size to great effect when battling inside for rebounds, scoring opportunities and protecting the rim.

A pass to Cameron Boozer at the nail can lead to any number of positive offensive outcomes for Columbus, such as a kick out to an open 3-point shooter when the defense collapses, or allowing Boozer himself to muscle his way to the rim.

His twin brother Cayden, a 6-foot-3 point guard, had his own headlining moments. Cayden finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists and popped with his distance shooting and court vision.

Michigan State guard signee Jase Richardson added 20 points for Columbus.

Edgecombe, the top uncommitted prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists for Long Island Lutheran. Edgecombe turned his play on in a big way near the end of the first half, when he went on a personal 8-0 run.

Edgecombe’s improved passing ability was on display again in the contest, as was his ability to be a defensive pest with his 6-foot-5 frame.

The shooting guard is down to a final three of Baylor, Duke and Kentucky in his recruitment, and Edgecombe will announce his college commitment at Hoophall on Sunday night.

Reports that came out Saturday indicated that Kentucky is no longer being considered by Edgecombe, and that he will commit to either the Bears or Blue Devils.

Billy Richmond battles with, defeats Duke signee in Hoophall Classic game

The Saturday morning showdown between Camden (New Jersey) High School and North Mecklenburg (North Carolina) High School featured a pair of future blueblood college basketball players.

Kentucky commit Billy Richmond (Camden) and Duke signee Isaiah Evans (North Mecklenburg) faced off against each other, and there was also plenty of individual one-on-one play between the two, as they guarded each other for the majority of what became a 67-62 Camden win.

Richmond — who had a game-high 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals — came alive in the second half and showed off his scoring prowess in a big way in the Camden win.

Richmond reached the 1,000-point scoring mark in his high school career during Saturday’s game. He punctuated the victory with a windmill slam in the closing seconds. That was just one of a number of impressive dunks Richmond had during the game.

Evans — who had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals — shouldered most of the offensive creation load for North Mecklenburg, but at times found it tough to generate quality scoring looks with Richmond defending him.

A 6-foot-5 wing, Richmond will bring a versatile presence at both ends of the court to the Wildcats next season. His length projects well as a defender able to affect opposing wings, reach in for steals and gather rebounds if he shows a bit of an increased motor when it comes to crashing the glass.

He’s also a smooth operator when it comes to knifing through defenders in the lane, kicking out to open shooters and using his size to finish through contact. A threat to shoot from 3-point range, the left-handed Richmond also has a skillset that should fit nicely into the up-tempo, transition offensive style that Kentucky has played with this season.

Both Richmond and Evans are players are part of the top two recruiting classes in the country in 2024. Duke is currently No. 1 and Kentucky is currently No. 2, although that could change Sunday night when the top uncommitted prospect left in the class, VJ Edgecombe, makes his college choice between Baylor, Duke and UK.

Billy Richmond begins run of Kentucky men’s basketball recruits at Hoophall

From a strictly Kentucky men’s basketball point of view, the Wildcats’ interest in the 2024 edition of the Spalding Hoophall Classic begins Saturday morning.

Class of 2024 UK men’s basketball commit Billy Richmond will soon be in action with his Camden (New Jersey) High School squad against North Mecklenburg (North Carolina) High School.

Richmond is one of five members of the 2024 UK basketball recruiting class, but Richmond is the only member of this group yet to sign his National Letter of Intent to play with the Wildcats.

Richmond committed to the Cats in late December, just hours before UK defeated Louisville in the annual rivalry matchup. As such, Richmond won’t be able to sign his paperwork to come to Lexington until April at the earliest.

A 6-foot-5 wing, Richmond was teammates at Camden last season with current UK freshman stars Aaron Bradshaw and D.J. Wagner. Since Bradshaw and Wagner departed for Kentucky, Richmond has taken over as the star player for the Panthers.

Richmond is also a key player for the New Jersey Scholars travel team on the Nike EYBL circuit, which Bradshaw and Wagner also formerly played with.

Camden’s Saturday morning game featuring Richmond will kick off an entire day at Hoophall with Kentucky basketball connections.

Later in the afternoon, three UK recruiting targets will be in one game as Long Island Lutheran (New York) small forward VJ Edgecombe takes on Cameron and Cayden Boozer from Christopher Columbus (Florida).

Edgecombe, a class of 2024 player, will choose between Baylor, Duke and Kentucky for his college commitment Sunday night.

The Boozer twins — who are sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer — both took official visits to Kentucky in the fall.

At 9 p.m., Arizona-based class of 2025 power forward Koa Peat will be in action. Kentucky recently made Peat’s top-10 list.

Cooper Flagg show highlights start of Hoophall Classic

The Hoophall Classic has been ongoing since Thursday, when local schools fill the schedule. But the event truly kicked into high gear Friday night, with prep powerhouse Montverde Academy in action.

The Florida-based school is littered with top high school basketball talent, and no name in prep hoops is bigger right now than that of Cooper Flagg.

The 6-foot-9, 195-pound future Duke Blue Devil looked every bit the part of the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2024 class Friday night, going for 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks as his Montverde team crushed Oak Hill Academy, 80-50.

Currently viewed as the likely No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NBA draft, Flagg displayed all of his future basketball potential at Hoophall: He controls the game thanks to his distinct skillset and has a bevy of offensive attributes, ranging from jump-shooting ability to solid vision as a playmaker. He’s also more than capable of effectively using his size to rebound and affect the game on the defensive side of the ball.

You’ve probably already heard Flagg’s name quite often with an eye toward the 2024-25 college basketball season.

And that won’t change anytime soon.