Third former Kentucky player joins John Calipari at Arkansas
D.J. Wagner, a 6-foot-3 guard and former No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023, is following John Calipari to Fayetteville, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Richard Davenport reported late Sunday.
Wagner was a consensus five-star recruit out of high school and a McDonald’s All-American. In his freshman season at Kentucky, he averaged almost 10 points per game (9.9) to go with 1.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Wagner played in 29 games for the Wildcats and scored a season-high 28 points in their early-season matchup against Marshall on November 24, a 118-82 Kentucky victory.
He had 13 games in double figures, seven of which came in SEC play. Wagner’s 19 points in Kentucky’s 111-102 victory over Arkansas at Rupp Arena on March 2 was his season-high in conference action. He shot 40.5 percent from the field last season.
Per 247Sports’ Travis Branham:
“Wagner is a tough, hard-nosed guard that competes on every possession he is on the floor.
He is capable of playing both on and off the ball with his biggest value coming in the intangibles he brings to the floor as a fearless competitor.
His freshman year didn’t live up to the lofty expectations set before him but with an improved jumper this season, he could have a breakout sophomore campaign in Fayetteville.”
Wagner is the eighth addition to the Arkansas program since Calipari was named Razorbacks head coach on April 10 and the third former Kentucky player to follow Calipari to Arkansas. Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic previously joined the Hogs this off-season.
Three high school recruits also flipped their commitments to Arkansas after previously committing to Kentucky: point guard Boogie Fland and wings Karter Knox and Billy Richmond.
