Who is Kentucky basketball hosting for Big Blue Madness? Acaden Lewis headlines list

Posted by Admin October 10, 2024 Basketball

LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball will have a dynamic duo on hand Friday night during the annual Big Blue Madness event.

Acaden Lewis, a four-star guard in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, will be in town this weekend for an official visit. Also attending the event will be Anthony Thompson, a five-star small forward in the 2026 cycle in 247Sports’ Composite ratings.

It’s a far smaller group than the Wildcats have hosted at Big Blue Madness in previous years. In 2023, UK had a dozen highly touted prospects in for the event. In 2022, 11 recruits attended.

A difference between this year and last year: UK and coach Mark Pope already have two commitments in the 2025 class: five-star center Malachi Moreno and five-star guard Jasper Johnson. Last October, the Wildcats (and former coach John Calipari) only had one 2024 pledge: four-star center Somto Cyril, who went on to sign with Georgia.

And Friday’s list of Big Blue Madness attendees had been larger at one point. Multiple players either canceled their visits (2025 prospects Niko Bundalo and Tounde Yessoufou) or had scheduling conflicts that prevented them from making it to Lexington this week (Moreno along with 2026 in-state products Taylen Kinney and Jayden Johnson).

Big Blue Madness will start at 7 p.m. Friday at Rupp Arena.

Here’s pertinent background information on Kentucky recruiting target Acaden Lewis:

High school: Sidwell Friends (Washington)

Position: Combo guard

247Sports Composite national ranking: 36

247Sports Composite position ranking: 5

What to know: A four-star combo guard from the nation’s capital, Lewis picked up an offer from the Wildcats in June. A month later, Pope’s program was part of Lewis’ eight finalists, a group that also included Auburn, Duke, Michigan, North Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee and UConn. Last week, Lewis trimmed his group of finalists to three: Kentucky, Duke and UConn. Lewis praised Pope earlier this year. “(Pope) just said that I’m a guy who could come in and play from Day 1,” Lewis told KSR+. “He trusts me with his program, and he thinks I could be something really special there.” After wrapping up this weekend’s official visit, Lewis is expected to make a decision before the early signing period begins next month.

The Wildcats have numerous offers out to 2025 prospects. Only two have committed elsewhere (Yessoufou to Baylor and point guard Darius Acuff Jr. to Arkansas), while others (AJ Dybantsa, Braylon Mullins, Koa Peat, Darryn Peterson, Eric Reibe and Meleek Thomas) don’t have UK as a finalist.

Bundalo had planned to make a Big Blue Madness appearance part of an official visit this weekend. But he canceled the trip just one day after it was announced. According to 247Sports national recruiting analyst Travis Branham, Bundalo will not reschedule the OV.

Pope and his staff have begun to zero in on a handful of 2025 recruits aside from Lewis.

One is five-star power forward Caleb Wilson, who was in Lexington last month for an official visit. After that, the Wildcats’ staff visited Wilson at his school, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal in Atlanta. Pope also stopped by for an in-home visit with Wilson on Tuesday, per national college basketball reporter Adam Zagoria.

Wilson has been vocal about his hopes of teaming up in college with Lewis.

The other 2025 recruits Kentucky still is in the running with include:

Here’s pertinent background information on Anthony Thompson:

High school: Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio)

Position: Small forward

247Sports Composite national ranking: 17

247Sports Composite position ranking: 6

What to know: A five-star small forward from neighboring Ohio, Thompson does not yet hold an offer from UK. But he does have offers from numerous other high-profile schools, including Louisville, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and UCLA, among others. Per On3, Thompson averaged nearly 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game last season for Lebanon High in Lebanon, Ohio. “I would say my game is very versatile. I feel I can do whatever is asked of me on the court,” Thompson told On3. “My best attributes are probably my shooting ability and my rebounding. I’ve always been a huge KD (Kevin Durant) guy, and I’ve always watched any film of him that I can. More recently, I have watched a lot of Jayson Tatum and tried to use his ways of creating space on his moves and add that to my game.” Thompson’s father played college basketball at Wheeling University, a Division II school in Wheeling, West Virginia. Though a college decision isn’t on the horizon any time soon, Thompson revealed to On3 the key factors he’ll consider. “I want to go to a school that allows me to develop into a great player to be able to play professionally,” he said. “And a place where I can be comfortable around coaching staff and players. I’d say I’m most comfortable playing fast and in transition, but also just a controlled offense that is able to score off whatever the defense gives.”

Along with Kinney, the Wildcats have extended scholarship offers to eight other prospects in the 2026 cycle.

That group includes:

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.