Unbeliveable: D.J. Wagner Says Choosing Kentucky Was The Biggest Mistake That He Has Ever Made” Till Coach Mark Pope Will Leave ….
D.J. Wagner, a former five-star prospect, is said to be the most recent player to move from Kentucky to Arkansas to join coach John Calipari. The 6-foot-4 guard from Camden, New Jersey, decided to commit to the Razorbacks after thinking about Southern California, according to an ESPN story on Monday. Wagner, a freshman at Kentucky last season who started 28 of his 29 games and averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds, is the son of former NBA player Dajuan Wagner. Wagner was ranked No. 4 by ESPN and No. 6 nationwide in the Class of 2023 by 247Sports. In April, Calipari left the Wildcats to become the head coach of the SEC rival Razorbacks. Since then, athletes Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic, who were recruited from Kentucky, have moved to Arkansas, and recruits Karter Knox, Billy Richmond, and Boogie Fland have switched their
One of Mark Pope’s greatest draws to UK basketball fans as the new head coach of the Kentucky basketball program is his background as a player. Not only was Pope a revered captain of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team, but he also played two seasons for UK after moving from Washington and missing the 1993–94 campaign. Pope is not your typical ex–Cat.
Since Pope was appointed on April 12 to succeed longtime head coach John Calipari, who led the Wildcats for the previous 15 seasons, this background and the inherent grasp of Kentucky basketball culture that goes along with it have proven to be quite popular with supporters. Pope’s official debut as the UK basketball coach took place in front of a raucous crowd at Rupp Arena last month. Fans flocked from all over the region to see Pope return to the Bluegrass as a coach. Pope emphasized his background as a standout basketball player from the University of Kentucky during his first press conference as Kentucky’s basketball coach, which took place during that Rupp Arena event.