The Kentucky Wildcats have already gotten to work in the 2027 recruiting class. With a commitment from four-star shooting guard Ryan Hampton, they already rank first in the nation, according to Rivals.
While Mark Pope and his staff are off to a hot start, they're far from done. The Wildcats are still targeting some of the cycle's top players, including center Darius Wabbington, out of Phoenix, Arizona.
As a junior at Sunnyslope High School, he appeared in 30 games and averaged 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He also shot 52% from the field and 36% from beyond the three-point line.
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The battle for his commitment continues to heat up, and the Wildcats are right in the mix. On Tuesday, Rivals' Joe Tipton reported that Wabbington has narrowed down his top six schools, which included Kentucky.
"Darius Wabbington, one of the top prospects in the 2027 class, is down to six schools, he told Rivals," Tipton wrote. "Moving forward, the 6-foot-11 rising senior out of Sunnyslope High (AZ) will consider Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, and Texas."
Making it this far is an exciting development for the Wildcats. According to Rivals Industry Rankings, the big man is a four-star recruit, the No. 1 center, the No. 4 player in Arizona and the No. 14 player in the nation.
The next big step Kentucky must take is to schedule Wabbington for an official visit. So far, he has OVs scheduled with Louisville (Sept. 11), Arizona (Sept. 25) and Texas (Oct. 9). Getting him to Lexington and making a strong impression is key to their chances at landing a commitment.
