BOZICH | D.J. Wagner undaunted by great expectations of Kentucky basketball | Sports

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) -- D.J. Wagner did not have to strain to be reminded of the expectations that will rage around him as he begins his work as the latest greatest recruit John Calipari landed for the University of Kentucky men's basketball program.

All Wagner had to do was turn around.

There they were, arranged on a glossy display across a bright blue wall behind him. From Pat Riley in 1967 to Immanuel Quickley in 2020, 51 black-and-white snapshots of former UK players who left the program as first-round NBA Draft picks.

As a headliner in Calipari's top-ranked class, does Wagner envision himself on that wall, somewhere with Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, De'Aaron Fox and others you watched excel in the NBA playoffs?

"Most definitely," Wagner said.

"But the first goal is just being successful with my team, you know, winning the championship. That type of stuff comes first.

"But that definitely would be a blessing to be able to get up on a board like that. But I definitely would like to have a successful season first."

That was not the answer of an ordinary freshman. The word ordinary was retired in any discussion about D.J. Wagner long ago.

Wagner has been trained and prepared for this journey for many years, even before he shot to the top of the recruiting ratings for the Class of 2023 after his freshman season at Camden (N.J.) High School.

His father, Dajuan Wagner, played for Calipari at Memphis for one season before he was selected sixth by Cleveland in the 2002 NBA Draft. His grandfather, Milt, won an NCAA championship at the University of Louisville and played in 53 games for the Lakers and Heat. He's the Director of Player Development and Alumni relations at Louisville.

If (or when) D.J. makes the NBA, the Wagners will become the first 3-generation NBA family.

"From them telling me certain stuff and showing me different moves, that's how their games kind of translate into my game," Wagner said.

Wagner moved to UK a month ago, learning about his new teammates. On Sunday Calipari will take his team to Toronto, Canada. UK will represent the United States against teams from Germany, Canada and Africa in the GLOBL Jam tournament. After a closed scrimmage next Tuesday, the Wildcats will open play against Germany at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Expect this flurry of questions:

How did D.J. play? Was he making threes? Sharing the ball? Getting to the rim? Being disruptive on defense?

"He's a lot better to play with than to play against," said Reed Sheppard, another talented UK freshman.

"He's a great player. He really knows the game, how to get his teammates involved. He's just really, really good.

"He can get to his spots. He can guard. He can pass. He's just one of those dudes you want on your team and you don't want to play against them."

"When coach tells him one thing, he's like a sponge because he soaks it in," said Adou Thiero, a UK sophomore guard.

"The next play, he'll go and do exactly what coach wanted."

The primary thing coach — and everybody invested in Kentucky basketball — wants is for the Wildcats to get back to the top of college basketball in a Final Four-way Kentucky has not reached since 2015.

Even with the return of senior guard Antonio Reeves and the arrival of transfer Tre Mitchell from West Virginia, the Wildcats will need at least two and probably three of these freshmen to perform with the poise and productivity of guys like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Brandon Knight, Anthony Davis, Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns, the players who established Calipari's success with freshmen.

Wagner averaged 22.5 points, 3 assists and 3.3 rebounds in his final prep season at Camden, a season that ended in February. The Panthers were ruled ineligible to defend their New Jersey state title because of their involvement in a fight against rival Camden Eastside in a tournament game.

It will be an unforgettable journey. He'll play one game at the KFC Yum! Center, which is coached by family friend Kenny Payne and his grandfather. D.J. said that he and Milt have not visited since he arrived in Lexington but that they talk several times a week.

Wagner, Sheppard, Justin Edwards, Robert Dillingham and (perhaps injured center) Aaron Bradshaw will be expected to improve on the Wildcats' performance of one NCAA Tournament win over the last three seasons.

"I feel like I never really look at it as pressure," Wagner said. "I'm just having fun out there, doing something that I love to do.

"My people, my support system definitely help me a lot with that, reminding me that I'm doing something I love to do and just keep having fun with that, no matter what.

"So I don't ever really try to get into, 'Oh, I've got to play this way or there's going to be a lot of people at this game.'"

The games in Canada will be his college debut. Wagner was asked what he would like to show Kentucky fans who have been eager to applaud him since he committed last fall.

"Really that I'm just a competitor," Wagner said. "I love to win. My passion for the game. I feel like we're all going to show that as a team, just our passion for the game and just how much we love to love to play basketball."