Despite Kentucky’s strong recruitment efforts, top-10 prospect Caleb Wilson has officially committed to North Carolina, choosing the Tar Heels over the Wildcats. While the decision was publicly announced recently, reports suggest that Wilson had silently given UNC a verbal commitment as early as December, making Kentucky’s pursuit an uphill battle long before the final decision.
Now, however, Wilson has stirred up discussion again either as a form of trolling or as a surprising show of respect for Kentucky’s incoming talent. His recent comments regarding the top five recruits in the 2025 class have raised eyebrows, as his selections heavily feature future Wildcats rather than players from his own chosen program.
Wilson’s Top Five Picks—A Strange Pattern
In a Bleacher Report Hoops video, Wilson shared his top five players from the 2025 class, listing:
Acaden Lewis at point guard
Jasper Johnson at shooting guard
Himself at small forward
Nate Ament at power forward
Malachi Moreno at center
The most intriguing part? Three of those five players are already committed to Kentucky, while Ament remains a Wildcats target, though he is considered a long shot. North Carolina, Wilson’s chosen program, didn’t have a single player make his list.
This unexpected selection has led to speculation—was Wilson subtly trolling Kentucky fans after rejecting their program, or was he genuinely acknowledging the talent of the Wildcats’ incoming class
Another peculiar aspect of Wilson’s list is that none of Kentucky’s commits are ranked among the top 10 nationally**. The highest-ranked among them is Jasper Johnson, who sits at No. 17 on ESPN’s list, while both Moreno and Lewis fail to crack the top 20 in any major recruiting service. This makes Wilson’s heavy inclusion of Kentucky players even more unexpected, especially since top-ranked players from UNC’s recruiting class were left out entirely
Wilson’s Impact and Kentucky’s Next Steps
Wilson, a 6-foot-9 forward, was one of the most highly sought-after uncommitted players in the 2025 recruiting class before choosing UNC. Ranked as the No. 1 player from Georgia and the No. 4 power forward nationally, he is expected to be a major offensive weapon for the Tar Heels. Losing out on him so late in the process was undoubtedly a setback for Kentucky, which had heavily pursued him for months.
Now, Kentucky must look elsewhere to fill the gap on next year’s roster. While they still remain in the mix for Nate Ament, landing him remains uncertain. However, if Wilson’s rankings were truly a sign of respect rather than mockery, it could be an indication that Kentucky’s incoming class is stronger than many analysts are currently giving it credit for.
For now, Big Blue Nation is left to wonder—was Wilson’s list a subtle dig, or was he giving Kentucky’s recruits the praise they deserve?
Leave a Reply