Arkansas to host DJ Wagner on official visit this weekend

Arkansas basketball is looking to add another former Kentucky player to the roster as they host one on a visit this weekend…

John Calipari will host another former Kentucky player on a visit to Arkansas this weekend. HawgSports can confirm that sophomore point guard DJ Wagner will be in Fayetteville on an official visit later this weekend. The news was first reported by CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein.

Wagner entered the transfer portal back on April 15, just five days after Calipari left Kentucky for Arkansas. According to 247Sports, he is currently rated as the No. 2 available transfer point guard in the 2024 cycle and the No. 11 overall player.

The Razorbacks are just the second team to officially host Wagner on an official visit. Former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman hosted Wagner on a visit to USC almost two weeks ago. There’s belief that the Trojans and Razorbacks are the only teams the talented guard is considering right now.

Wagner played under Calipari last season at Kentucky where he made 28 starts and averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds across 29 games. He committed to Kentucky in November of 2022 as the No. 6 overall player and top-rated combo guard in the 2023 recruiting class, earning a spots as an McDonald’s All-American.

If the Razorbacks were to land Wagner, he’d join Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero as the third ex-Wildcat to follow Calipari to Arkansas from Kentucky.

An All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team selection … A three-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree … Made 28 starts in 29 appearances … Averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game … Had 13 double-digit scoring efforts … Tallied a double-double against Georgia … Recorded 20 games with three or more assists … Had eight points and five assists in the SEC Tournament … Recorded 11 points, five assists and four rebounds, while draining a trio of 3-pointers in the home win over Vanderbilt … Posted 19 points and connected on a career-high four 3-pointers in the home victory over Arkansas … Logged 10 points and four assists at Mississippi State … Had eight points in the upset of Auburn … Tallied eight points and a trio of assists at Arkansas … Poured in 18 points and dished out a career-best 10 assists in the win over Georgia … Logged 18 points and had four assists at Texas A&M … Scored 16 points at home vs. Missouri … Back-to-back efforts with 14 points in wins over Florida and Illinois State … Posted 14 points, five assists and six rebounds in the upset of No. 9 North Carolina … Had a career-high 28 points, five assists and three steals in the win over Marshall … Poured in 22 points while adding six assists in the overtime win over Saint Joseph’s … Had 11 points and a trio of assists vs. Texas A&M-Commerce … Tallied 13 points, four assists and three steals in his collegiate debut vs. New Mexico State.

High School 

Rated as high as No. 4 by both ESPN and 247Sports … McDonald’s All-American Game MVP … Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year for three straight seasons … Member of USA Men’s Nike Hoop Summit team … 2023 Iverson Classic Co-MVP … Iverson Classic 3-point Champion … Iverson Classic National High School Player of the Year … Stephen Jackson Community Leadership Award winner … NJ.com First-Team All-State … Averaged 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.1 steals per contest as a junior, helping Camden to the NJSIAA Group 2 state championship.

Personal

Born May 4 in Camden, New Jersey … Parents are Syreeta Brittingham and Dajuan Wagner … Father played college basketball at Memphis for John Calipari and was drafted sixth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002 … Grandfather is Milt Wagner who won a national championship at Louisville in 1986 and was a second round pick by the Dallas Mavericks in 1986 … Siblings are Dayonni Wagner and Kareem Watkins … Lists his parents as his life’s greatest influences … Favorite movie is Paid in Full … Plays video games and watches movies in his free time … Dunked for the first time in eighth grade … Lists teleportation and invisibility as two superpowers he wishes he had … Off the court talent is drawing … Tyler Ulis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are his favorite former Wildcats.