D.J. Wagner, Jr. attends Camden High School in New Jersey. D.J. certainly has the pedigree to become a successful NBA Player. As a matter of fact, Wagner Jr. is looking to become a first ever third generation NBA Player. There are many two generation combos that had successful College and NBA careers. It’s astounding that there are at least 10 Kentucky dynamic duos that played Kentucky and NBA Basketball: (Credit ON3, KSR, and Adam Stratton) https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/kentucky-basketball-father-son-combos/
Three Generations of Wagners…
Three generations of Wagner’s have built their own legacy in Camden, New Jersey High School.
D.J. Wagner Jr. is the son of former professional basketball player Dajuan Wagner and grandson of professional player “Ice Man” Milt Wagner. Wagner’s father was coached by Coach Cal while at Memphis. Calipari actually revoked his scholarship after his freshman year to force him to enter the NBA. Calipari believed that Wagner should not avoid the money he would receive as a first-round draft pick. Wagner’s Grandfather, Milt Wagner, was a star for Louisville from ’81-’86, and led the Cards to the 1986 Championship and three Final Fours. Milt is presently the Director of Player Development and Alumni Relations under Louisville head coach Kenny Payne. For this reason, Louisville was once considered a strong possibility as a potential D.J. Wagner, Jr. landing spot. However, he signed with the Cats in November 2022, and is now a Rivals #3 Recruit.
The First Wagner To Play For Kentucky
Surely, that’s a lot of Wagners, but let’s focus on the first Wagner to play for Kentucky. Please note that Camden Teammate Aaron Bradshaw will also be a Wildcat next year, too. Bradshaw is a #5 Rivals recruit and holds the #1 Rivals ranking as a High School Center as a capable seven foot scorer. Wagner, is a McDonald’s All-Star and the New Jersey returning Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Wagner shows great versatility averaging 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.1 steals with 31 games last year for the Panthers. He is always playing in attack mode and is effective in creating his own shots. The Nike EBYL star is also a proven and versatile scorer, and employs numerous offensive and defensive assets.
Look for an unselfish player that is considered an elite competitor who plays hard, and has a way of raising the level of play of those around him.
Many outlets label D.J. as a personable, respectful, and quite humble competitor off the court. With Kentucky’s widely regarded #1 Recruiting Class next year, look for D.J. Wagner to be the high octane fuel to propel the Team.
Depending on who stays after this year, the Cat’s 2023-’24 roster will be stocked with numerous McDonald’s All-Americans. The talent for Championship #9, (or could it be 10), would seem within reach.
No, I’ll never give up on this edition of our Wildcats.The talent and athleticism is here, it’s a matter of harnessing its skill set as one. Anything could unfold, just look at the beatdown Alabama just suffered Saturday at OU’s hands…
