FAYETTEVILLE — DJ Wagner left Camden High School in New Jersey with unenviable expectations.
Now a second year student with Arkansas basketballWagner was ranked as the nation’s fourth-best recruit by ESPN and 247Sports when he enrolled at Kentucky in 2023. He was considered a potential top-five draft pick, but Wagner had his ups and downs. lows offensively in his lone season. with the Wildcats, averaging 9.9 points on 40.5% shooting. He shot just 29.2% from 3-point range.
Razors head coach John Calipari is fully aware of a narrative that Wagner failed to live up to his respective hype as a five-star recruit, but Calipari doesn’t believe the historical narrative is fair.
“He was playing really well, and then he got hurt and he never really bounced back,” Calipari said. “I think he’s healthy. I think he’s more athletic than he was. The kid lives in the gym. He knows how to read his body now.”
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Wagner injured his ankle in early December against Miami. He dealt with this injury for the rest of the season, but he was still able to play in 29 of Kentucky’s 33 games. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week three times.
Overall, Wagner posted modest numbers, but Kentucky was at its best when the point guard made a significant difference. Kentucky went 12-1 in games in which Wagner scored 10 or more points.
And according to Calipari, Wagner’s impact extends beyond just the stat sheet. Still just a sophomore in college basketball, Wagner is becoming an important locker room figure as Arkansas embarks on a new journey with the former Kentucky coach.
“When you walk into my gym, the voice you hear is his. That’s the voice you hear, which means he’s on his team,” Calipari said.
“Incredibly coachable player, maybe one of the best I’ve ever had. If you say something to him, he does it then and there.”
Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivišić join Wagner as part of the Kentucky transfers that followed Calipari to Arkansas. Despite the continuity, Calipari says there are still so many new faces that the team is still learning each person’s strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.
Arkansas will host Kansas on Oct. 25 in a preseason exhibition, with proceeds benefiting pediatric health organizations. This is the first time the squad and supporters will get a first taste of the team against high-quality opposition.
Calipari is excited about the lessons that could come.
“I want to win every game I coach, but when you build and you do that, you have to throw them in the fire and see where they are right now,” he said. “Then we will all know – here is where we are as we begin this process.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: John Calipari eager for DJ Wagner’s rebound with Arkansas basketball
