Kentucky is getting another major recruiting visitor this weekend, and this one comes with serious star power.
Top five prospect AJ Williams is scheduled to take an official visit to Lexington beginning on Saturday, giving the Wildcats a chance to make a strong impression on one of the biggest names in the 2027 class. Kentucky has already hosted a wave of high-level recruits over the last two months, and the recent visit from top 15 recruit Cherrif Millogo ended with a commitment. Now the staff gets a shot at Williams, who has become one of the most closely watched players in the cycle.
Williams first revealed a top 10 in September that included Kentucky, BYU, Duke, Auburn, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi State, Illinois and Georgia Tech. Since then, he has started working through visits, with stops already taken to Duke, Georgia Tech and Auburn.
He has also been to BYU, Georgia and Mississippi State. Kentucky is the latest program to get him on campus.
The forward, who reclassified from the 2028 class to 2027, had been rumored to be moving toward a decision after naming his schools back in September. Even so, he still has more visits to sort through before that point arrives.
Kentucky is one of the newer schools in the mix, which means this weekend gives the Wildcats a real opening to gain ground if the visit goes well. More trips are expected later, though none have been scheduled yet.
Williams also arrives in Lexington with a fresh reminder of why he sits near the top of the recruiting board. In Team USA’s win over Japan at the FIBA U17 World Cup, he put up 25 points, seven boards, two assists and two steals while shooting 7-10 from the field, 5-6 from 3-point range and 6-6 at the line in 15 minutes.
“Ridiculous display by the #1 player in the class of ‘28, showing why he’s ranked as high as he is. Elite performance today”
Rivals’ Jamie Shaw describes Williams this way: "AJ Williams brings a mature approach to the game. Positional size, listed at 6-foot-7, he has quality length and explosive athletic pop.
He is the top-ranked player in the 2028 recruiting cycle, and he is a shot-maker. Someone who is comfortable being at the top of a scouting report, and still getting to his spots at multiple levels and finishing plays.
He is not a super-dynamic or super-flashy player, but instead, he is steady, plays with a purpose, and rebounds in his area. Williams was second on last summer’s U16 USA Basketball team in minutes and third in scoring.
There is a lot of depth at his position, but it would also not surprise to see the team provide some different lineups that get their five best players, regardless of position, on the floor at the same time."
BYU has long been viewed as the favorite, but Kentucky now has its chance to chip away at that lead. The Wildcats have stayed active in his recruitment, and this weekend could tell them plenty about where they stand.
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The early returns were especially encouraging because Hawthorne did more than simply fill a box score. He looked comfortable defending, made plays as a passer and showed the kind of upside that has teammates talking about his ceiling, even if his outside shot is still a work in progress. For Kentucky, that kind of debut is the sort that can turn a promising newcomer into a real reason for optimism. [Read more 🡒]