As summer gives way to fall, it’s nearly time for another year of Kentucky men’s basketball to take the court.
Coming off a 22-12 record that saw the Wildcats get eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, the Wildcats will send out a new look on the hardwood this season.
The Wildcats’ recruiting class is headlined by eight freshman scholarship players and the return of fifth-year guard Antonio Reeves as they seek their ninth national championship this season.
Meet the team:
0 – Rob Dillingham
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats (Overtime Elite [high school senior]):
– 14.7 points-per-game (PPG)
– 4.9 assists-per-game (APG)
About: Dillingham is a 6-foot-2-inch guard known to create scoring chances for himself by using his quickness and shiftiness. Dillingham chose the Bluegrass over several other prominent schools such as UCLA, USC, Memphis, North Carolina and Louisville.
Fun Fact: Dillingham’s favorite basketball player is Kobe Bryant, and his favorite Wildcat player is Malik Monk.
1 – Justin Edwards
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats (high school senior):
– 17.9 PPG
– 7.5 rebounds-per-game (RPG)
About: Edwards enters the program with a lengthy list of awards, including being named a 2023 McDonald’s All-American, MaxPreps Pennsylvania High School Player of the Year and a member of the USA Men’s Nike Hoops Summit. The Wildcats will look to use Edward’s size and versatility to their advantage this season.
Fun Fact: Edwards and his mother are both recipients of the Philadelphia Public League MVP award in their respective leagues, with a 23-year gap separating the two earning the honor.
2 – Aaron Bradshaw
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Roselle, New Jersey
Position: Forward
2022-2023 Stats (high school senior):
– 12.1 PPG
– 9.4 RPG
About: Big Blue nation will have to wait a little bit to see Bradshaw on the floor as he is currently sidelined with a foot injury, but when he hits the court fans can expect to see plenty of shots blocked, as well as improved offensive skills from the 7-foot-2-inch forward.
Fun Fact: Has a pre-game ritual during which he must tap his feet, shoulders and head before stepping on the court.
3 – Adou Thiero
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Leetsdale, Pennsylvania
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats:
– 2.3 PPG
– 1.9 RPG
– .697 free-throw-percentage
About: Thiero is the first familiar face for BBN as he saw action in 20 games last year for the Wildcats. Fans can expect to see Thiero use his increased physicality and athleticism from his offseason improvement, assuming his ankle tweak at UK Pro Day was just a minor hiccup.
Fun Fact: Thiero scored four points and hauled in five rebounds in his collegiate debut against Howard last season.
4 – Tre Mitchell
Year: Graduate Student
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Position: Forward
2022-2023 Stats (West Virginia):
– 11.7 PPG
– 5.5 RPG
– .47 field-goal percentage
About: Mitchell comes to the Bluegrass as a transfer from West Virginia where he started 32/34 games and led the team with 142 rebounds. The forward not only brings collegiate experience to a mostly young team, but his rebounding ability will surely be a huge asset to the Wildcats.
Fun Fact: Mitchell is a traveled veteran as he began his career at the University of Massachusetts before transferring to Texas his junior year and then transferring to West Virginia for his senior year before arriving in the Bluegrass.
12 – Antonio Reeves
Year: Fifth-Year Senior
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats:
– 14.4 PPG
– .783 free-throw percentage
– 2.1 RPG
About: Reeves returns for his fifth and final year and will look to pick up right where he left off. Reeves ranked second on the team in points-per-game and led the team with 80 3-pointers made throughout his 14 starts with action in all 32 games. Reeves provides a level of experience that will likely be very helpful to the young core of players.
Fun Fact: Last season, Reeves scored 20 points off the bench four different times, which is the most in coach John Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky.
13 – Grant Darbyshire
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats:
– zero PPG
– zero RPG
– zero APG
About: Darbyshire returns to the Wildcats as a sophomore this season despite seeing no game action last year due to a leg injury. He was only allowed to be active for a handful of games, none of which ultimately saw him take the court.
Fun Fact: Darbyshire was named the First-Year SEC Honor Roll his freshman year.
14 – Brennan Canada
Year: Graduate Student
Hometown: Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Position: Forward
2022-2023 Stats:
– 0.6 PPG
– .333 three-point percentage
– .571 field-goal percentage
About: Canada returns to the Wildcats this year after seeing action in five games last season. Despite the limited playing time, Canada has earned the reputation of being a great teammate and also going hard in practice in order to make his teammates better.
Fun Fact: He was put on scholarship back in January.
15 – Reed Sheppard
Year: Freshman
Hometown: London, Kentucky
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats (high school):
– 22.5 PPG
– 8.4 RPG
– 8.5 APG
About: Coming off a 2023 Mr. Kentucky Basketball campaign, Sheppard was rated as high as the No. 22 recruit out of high school. Sheppard’s been described as a sharpshooter with a humble play style who likes to distribute the ball. The McDonald’s All-American with 3,726 career points helped lead his high school to the sweet sixteen his junior year.
Fun Fact: Sheppard wears No. 15 after his father, who is Kentucky basketball legend Jeff Sheppard.
20 – Joey Hart
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Linton, Indiana
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats (high school senior):
– 23.6 PPG
– 4.1 RPG
– 2.7 APG
About: Fresh off taking Linton-Stockton High School to the Indiana 2A state championship game, Hart chose Kentucky over Indiana, Rutgers and Central Florida. Hart has range and shot 40% from behind the 3-point line his senior year.
Fun Fact: Hart recorded his first ever dunk in eighth grade.
21 – D.J. Wagner
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Camden, New Jersey
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats (high school junior):
– 19.6 PPG
– 4.3 RPG
– 3.3 APG
About: Wagner possesses elite ball handling skills and is quick to the basket, making him all but destined to have an immediate impact on the team. The No. 4 overall recruit who led his high school to the 2A state title game was recently named to the CBS Top Ten Projected Impact Freshman list.
Fun Fact: Wagner holds an annual D.J. Wagner community event in his hometown.
22 – Walker Horn
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats:
– zero PPG
– 0.25 RPG
– 0.25 APG
About: Horn played in four games last season as a walk-on freshman. He had dreams of playing for Kentucky as his father is head coach at Northern Kentucky just 82 miles away. Horn is unlikely to be a starter, but can still be expected to see the court throughout the year.
Fun Fact: Horn wears No. 21 after his father, who wore it in college at Western Kentucky.
23 – Jordan Burks
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Decatur, Alabama
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats (Overtime Elite):
– 27.1 PPG
– 7.5 RPG
– 2.9 APG
About: Standing at 6 feet, 9 inches with a 7-foot wingspan, Burks has the potential to be a defensive nightmare for opponents. Burks played for three separate high school teams before joining Overtime Elite’s Hillcrest Prep. Burks made his presence known at Big Blue Madness, participating in the dunk contest and doing good things during the exhibition.
Fun Fact: Burks prefers flats over drumsticks when he eats wings.
25 – Kareem Watkins
Year: Senior
Hometown: Camden, New Jersey
Position: Guard
2022-2023 Stats:
– zero PPG
– zero RPG
– 0.25 APG
About: The incredibly athletic walk-on is not likely to see a ton of minutes this season but will play an important role on the practice court for the Wildcats. Kentucky head coach John Calipari has a history of using Watkins as a fill-in guard during team scrimmages.
Fun Fact: Watkins knows how to juggle.
33 – Ugonna Onyenso
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Position: Forward
2022-2023 Stats:
– 2.5 PPG
– 2.6 RPG
– 0.06 APG
About: Onyenso is a big 6-foot-11-inch defensive presence that played in 16 games off the bench last season with 40 points and 16 blocks. He suffered a broken foot following the Globl Jam tournament in Toronto over the summer, but is still expected to be a mainstay for the 2022-23 season. Onyenso briefly entered the transfer portal following his freshman year but opened to return to Kentucky.
Fun Fact: Onyenso’s pregame music playlist includes Lil Durk and Lil Baby.
44 – Zvonimir Ivišić
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Vodice, Croatia
Position: Forward
2022-2023 Stats (Adriatic League):
– 5.2 PPG
– 3.5 RPG
– 0.3 APG
About: Ivišić, also known as “Big Z,” was a last-minute addition to the Wildcats roster. The 7-foot-2-inch forward is not only good at the rim but also from range. He once hit 11 3-pointers in seven games, an impressive figure for a big man. Ivišić will add much-needed depth and size on Kentucky’s roster, especially with the injuries to Onyenso and Bradshaw.
Fun Fact: Ivišić was described as a “unicorn” by Sports Illustrated.
