Five-star D.J. Wagner said John Calipari was always "straightforward and honest" with him. (Twitter Photo)
He’s already a two-time New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and is ranked either as the No. 1 or No. 2 player in the 2023 recruiting class. He’s the son of former Memphis and NBA guard Dajuan Wagner and grandson of former Louisville and professional player Milt Wagner.
Guard D.J. Wagner even made his recruiting announcement Tuesday on ESPN and did just what many thought he would two years ago — he committed to Kentucky and coach John Calipari.
“Coach John Calipari was always straightforward and honest with me. He said he would be with me until the wheels fall off the car either way,” Wagner said during his commitment announcement.
“And that meant so much to me. I’m coming there to win. Winning comes first with me and I want to help Kentucky win as much as possible.”
He should be able to do that, especially as part of the No. 1 recruiting class. His high school teammate, 7-foot forward Aaron Bradshaw, signed with Kentucky Tuesday. He is a consensus top 10 player and five-star recruit.
The Cats had already signed point guard Robert Dillingham, another top 10 player, along with Justin Edwards, a 6-8 guard and top three player in the class. Then there is North Laurel guard Reed Sheppard, a top 30 player.
Calipari says he has known D.J. “his entire life” and has always wanted to coach him. Milt Wagner was on Calipari’s staff at Memphis and Dajuan Wagner credits Calipari for convincing him to leave college early — a move that paid off when he suffered a serious leg injury in the NBA after he was already drafted.
“He is a competitor. He attacks the offensive end and is a versatile scorer, but he is equally as tough on defense,” Calipari said. “I love the spirit he’ll bring to practice every day, and I love that he wanted to be at Kentucky.”
“He knows that to get the best of himself, he needs to be surrounded by other talented players who are going to match his competitive energy.”
Louisville made a big push for D.J. Wagner after Kenny Payne, Milt Wagner’s teammate at Louisville, was hired as head coach. Milt Wagner even got a job with the Louisville athletics department but in the end, Calipari’s long-time ties with the recruit paid off.
The 6-3, 175-pound Wagner averaged 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.1 assists per steal as a junior when Camden won the New Jersey Group 2 state championship.
He’s a versatile scorer who goes at defenders and is a gifted scorer at the rim with both hands. He also has a reliable floater and is a terrific mid-range scorer. While not considered a point guard, he is a very good passer and often plays with the ball in his hands.
247Sports recruiting director Eric Bossi calls Wagner an “explosive scorer” who fits what Calpari likes to do very well.
Adding Wagner puts Kentucky in position to have a terrific two seasons. Calipari has a veteran team this season with terrific pieces that fit well together and next year will have one of his “super” freshmen classes along with a few returnees from this season.
After a 9-16 season and then a shocking NCAA Tournament loss, Calipari has his mojo going full speed and Wagner was the final piece to what is a banner recruiting year for Kentucky.
