By JACOB POLACHECK
Here’s a look towards this week’s recruiting visits and other news. This list will be updated throughout the week.
Kentucky will be hosting of class of 2023 targets for “Big Blue Madness” on Friday, October 15 including five-star guard DJ Wagner, five-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako, four-star guard Reed Sheppard and three-star center Cyr Malonga.
Five-Star Kentucky commit Skyy Clark will also be in attendance.
Wagner, the 6-foot-3, 165-pound combo guard from Camden (NJ) High School, took his first official visit to Memphis on Tuesday (Oct. 12).
Mgbako, the 6-foot-7, 185-pound small forward from Gill St. Bernard (NJ) School, took his first official visit to Duke from Sept. 2-4.
Sheppard, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound combo guard from North Laurel (KY), will be visiting Kentucky for an unofficial visit.
Malonga, the 6-foot-11, 205-pound center from Evangel (KY) Christian School, will also be visiting for Kentucky for an unofficial trip.
Duke will also be hosting its annual “Countdown to Craziness” on Friday with several top prospects in attendance, most notably five-star Mark Mitchell.
Mitchell, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound small forward from Sunrise (KS) Christian Academy, visited Duke for an official visit from June 28-29. He has also taken official visits to UCLA (June 6-7 and Sept. 19-20), Missouri (June 12 and Oct. 8-9) and Kansas (June 16 and Oct. 1-2).
Class of 2022 five-star Duke commits Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead are also expected to be in attendance.
North Carolina is set to host its annual “Late Night with Hubert”, hosting class of 2022 four-star UNC commit Seth Trimble, class of 2023 unsigned five-star forward G.G. Jackson and unsigned 2024 forward Jarin Stevenson.
Memphis hosted its annual “Memphis Madness” on Wednesday, October 13, with five-star DJ Wagner in attendance, as well as class of 2022 guards Zion Cruz, Chandler Jackson and Christian Spalding, 2023 guards London Johnson, Stephon Castle, Jayden Forrest, 2023 three-star center Cyr Malonga and 2024 forward Aiden Sherrell.
**Brandon Miller, the 6-foot-8, 200-pound small forward from Cane Ridge (TN), takes his fifth official visit to Kansas this weekend (Oct. 14-17).
Miller has previously taken official visits to Auburn (June 3), Alabama (June 16 and Sept. 25) and Kentucky (June 26-28).
**Dillon Mitchell, the 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward from Montverde (FL) Academy, will take his third official visit to Texas this weekend (Oct. 15-18).
Mitchell has previously taken official visits to Tennessee (June 27) and Florida State (June 30-July 1).
**Ty Rodgers, the 6-foot-7, 195-pound small forward from Grand Blanc (MI) Community, trips to Memphis on Friday (Oct. 15) for an official visit.
Rodgers has previously taken official visits to Michigan (June 1-3), UConn (June 11), Purdue (June 18-20), Xavier (Aug. 27), Illinois (Sept. 17) and Michigan State (Oct. 2). He also has plans to visit Alabama on Oct. 22.
**Kimani Hamilton, the 6-foot-8, 215-pound small forward from Clinton (MS), visits Mississippi State on Saturday (Oct. 16) for his first official visit.
Hamilton will take his second official visit to Alabama on Oct. 23.
**Desmond Claude, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound point guard from Putnam Science (CT) Academy, takes his fourth official visit to Xavier from Oct. 12-14.
Claude has previously taken official visits to Marquette (Oct. 1) and Rutgers (Oct. 9-10).
**Robert Dillingham, the 6-foot-1, 160-pound point guard from Donda (CA) Academy, trips to LSU this weekend (Oct. 15-17) for his first official visit.
Dillingham previously took an unofficial visit to NC State on June 29.
**Kanaan Carlyle, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior point guard from Milton (GA), takes his third official visit to Baylor on Saturday (Oct. 16).
Carlyle has previously taken official visits to Georgia (Oct. 1) and Auburn (Oct. 8-10). He also has plans to visit Stanford on Nov. 5.
**Brandon Gardner, the 6-foot-7, 200-pound power forward from Word of God (NC) Christian Academy, will take his first official visit to LSU on Saturday (Oct. 16).
Gardner has previously taken unofficial visits to South Carolina (June 1), Georgetown (June 21), Maryland (June 22), Wake Forest (Sept. 3) and Georgia (Oct. 2).
**Wesley Tubbs, the 6-foot-7, 190-pound small forward from Northside (NC) Christian Academy, trips to Cincinnati this weekend (Oct. 15-17) for his second official visit.
Tubbs took his first official visit to Virginia Tech from Oct. 8-10.
Follow Jacob Polacheck on Twitter
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram
