Suddenly, the last week of July is shaping up to be a pivotal one for Kentucky basketball’s recruiting efforts.
On Friday, five-star class of 2026 point guard Deron Rippey Jr. will begin his official visit to Lexington. Rippey has UK among his final 12 schools under consideration.
On Wednesday, UK will also be hosting another talented college basketball prospect for a visit. And it’s an intriguing international recruit who will be making this midweek trip to check out the Cats
Sayon Keita, a 7-foot center from Mali who plays for FC Barcelona in Spain, will come to Lexington as part of a whirlwind week of recruiting activity for him: Keita visited Kansas on Monday and Indiana on Tuesday, and he’s set to also visit Duke on Thursday, North Carolina on Friday and UConn on Saturday.
It’s a remarkable list of college basketball programs that Keita is receiving interest from.
The 17-year-old Keita, who has played for both the senior and youth teams at Barcelona, is considered a top international prospect in the 2027 recruiting class. He might reclassify into the 2026 recruiting group.
Kentucky doesn’t have a commitment yet in either the 2026 or the 2027 recruiting class. Pope and the Wildcats have extended scholarship offers to 20 players (19 of whom are still uncommitted) in the 2026 class and to four prospects in the 2027 class.
