Kentucky is getting a real shot at one of the top names in the 2027 class.
Consensus five-star shooting guard Adan Diggs has set an official visit to Lexington for Oct. 22-23, according to Rivals’ Joe Tipton. The timing lines up with Kentucky’s exhibition against Texas Tech in Rupp Arena on Oct. 23, giving the Wildcats a chance to make a strong impression in person. It will be the third official visit of the fall for Diggs, who is also scheduled to visit Arizona in late September and Arkansas in early October.
Diggs, a 6-foot-4 guard from Goodyear (AZ) Millennium, is ranked No. 5 overall in the Rivals Industry Ranking. He carries five-star+ status, which means Rivals, ESPN, and 247 all grade him as a five-star prospect. Those same services also list him as the top shooting guard in the 2027 class.
The recruitment has already tightened up. Diggs said last week that he’s down to seven schools: Kentucky, Arizona, Arkansas, Duke, Southern California, Kansas, and North Carolina.
Kentucky entered the mix with an offer in May, after Diggs reclassified from 2028 to 2027 in the spring. KSR’s Jack Pilgrim reported that Mark Pope and an assistant coach were at Diggs’ school this week.
“It felt great, it was a great conversation with Mark (Pope),” Diggs previously told KSR about the Kentucky offer. “He’s a great dude - pretty funny.
It was a very enjoyable moment. It was definitely a conversation for both, ’28 and ’27, but we made it known that it was more than likely going to be ’27.
He said that he loves my game, loves my motor and loves how I take pride in defense.”
For now, though, Arizona looks like the team to beat. Diggs’ first official visit will be to his home-state school in a couple of weeks, and Rivals’ Tipton logged an RPM pick on Aug. 25 with 75 percent confidence in favor of the “other” Wildcats. Tommy Lloyd’s program remains the perceived leader, but Kentucky and Arkansas, where John Calipari now coaches, will each get a chance to sell Diggs next month.
Diggs backed up the hype on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for Vegas Elite during the regular season, then upped those numbers at Peach Jam to 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, two steals, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 43/31/71.
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Drew A Clear Line In College Sports Chaos
Amid the churn in college sports, Kentucky is trying to make its position look a lot less messy. At the Champions Blue Board of Governors meeting on Sept. 17, university president Eli Capilouto again backed the Protect College Sports Act and put the emphasis on following Southeastern Conference rules, with athletics director J Batt echoing the same message about federal guidelines carrying more weight than a patchwork of state laws and court rulings.
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There is at least a little good news on the defensive side, with Terhyon Nichols expected back at cornerback and Alex Afari Jr. available after missing the previous game. Still, the bigger picture is clear enough: Kentucky is a 16.5-point underdog, and Kenny Minchey is set for his first SEC road start at quarterback, which gives this trip to Texas A&M an added layer of pressure and uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Gets An Early Warning On Two Defensive Names Vs Texas A&M
The first SEC availability report of the season has already given Kentucky a clearer picture of what Saturday could look like against Texas A&M, even before the Wildcats get to game weeks late updates. Under the leagues new 2024 policy, schools now have to submit official player statuses each Wednesday and keep refining them through kickoff, which means the early read on this matchup matters a little more than it used to.
For Kentucky, the initial list includes several familiar names in different categories, with the most notable defensive concerns landing in the questionable column. Texas A&M has its own injury watch list to manage as well, so both sides are dealing with uncertainty before the teams even get to College Station. The Wildcats will keep tracking the report as the week goes on, but this first snapshot already hints that availability could shape how this SEC opener unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
