UK basketball is still without a class of 2024 commit. Ahmad Nowell could be the first.

Kentucky’s roster problems as they pertain to the 2023-24 men’s basketball season have been well documented.

But the cupboard is also pretty bare for John Calipari when you look deeper into the future.

UK is still without a commitment from any class of 2024 player, and the Cats have already missed out on the likes of Ian Jackson, Tahaad Pettiford and perhaps center Flory Bidunga as well.

But some much-needed positive news on the long-term recruiting front arrived Monday, when class of 2024 combo guard Ahmad Nowell included UK among his final four schools.

Ahmad Nowell breaks out on Nike EYBL circuit

A Kentucky scholarship offer is still relatively new for Nowell, who only picked up the offer from UK in late April.

But it’s clear that interest is mutual and strong between Nowell and the Cats.

The class of 2024 combo guard — who is ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 33 overall player in the 2024 class by the 247Sports Composite — released a list of his top four schools Monday, with the Cats making the cut.

Kentucky was joined by Georgia Tech, Tennessee and national champion UConn in Nowell’s final list.

There’s plenty of familiarity between the Philadelphia-based Nowell and Kentucky.

He was a teammate of incoming Wildcat Justin Edwards at Imhotep Institute in Philadelphia. Edwards also played for the same travel basketball program as Nowell, Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit.

Nowell has been a star this spring for Team Final, with per-game averages of 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists, along with 40.7% three-point shooting and 83.9% free-throw shooting. He also gets after it on defense, to the tune of a 1.5 steals per game in Nike EYBL action.

The 6-foot, 180-pound combo guard (measurements via 247Sports) may be on the smaller side, but he’s a stocky and strong player who has other attributes that more than make up for his stature.

“He doesn’t break down the defenses in the way some quick, smaller guards do, but he finds ways to get in the lane with his change of speed and sees the floor really well to make some terrific passes,” Owen McCue, an assistant editor at the Philadelphia basketball-focused publication City of Basketball Love, told the Herald-Leader.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Nowell has visited all of his top four schools, except Kentucky.

While Nowell doesn’t have a specific date lined up to come to Lexington, that visit could arrive in the next few weeks, prior to the Nike EYBL season-ending Peach Jam event in South Carolina in early July.

As far as a commitment timeline, Tipton reports Nowell plans to make a college decision sometime after Peach Jam, which wraps up July 9.

It’s clear that Calipari and company are making a serious effort to land Nowell, as the UK coaching staff has watched him play both on the Nike EYBL circuit and in Philadelphia recently.

There’s also recent precedent for Kentucky being able to flip a player who was once viewed as a Tennessee lean: That’s exactly what happened with Justin Edwards.

Kentucky freshmen make Jordan Brand Classic roster

Kentucky is less than a month away from playing competitive basketball games with a still-in-flux 2023-24 roster, as the Wildcats are preparing to represent the United States starting July 12 at the “GLOBL JAM” in Toronto.

But accolades are still rolling in for some members of what is now a seven-player 2023 recruiting class.

A quartet of incoming UK freshmen — Aaron Bradshaw, Robert Dillingham, Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner — were named to the 32-player Jordan Brand Classic roster.

The Jordan Brand Classic began in 2002, but no game will take place in 2023.

Among the other players named to the 2023 Jordan Brand Classic squad were Ron Holland (a former UK recruit and Texas signee who is now with the NBA’s G-League ignite program), Bronny James (a Southern California signee and the eldest son of NBA star LeBron James) and Simeon Wilcher (a former North Carolina signee who is now joining Rick Pitino’s first-year team at St. John’s).

Rivals to update 2024 and 2025 rankings

It’s a big week for both class of 2024 and class of 2025 recruits. Both groups of players are set to have their recruiting rankings updated by Rivals.

As mentioned previously, UK is without a commitment in the class of 2024.

One of Kentucky’s biggest targets in the class of 2024 — Tre Johnson (No. 3 in the new Rivals rankings) — recently announced his move from Lake Highlands High School in Texas to national prep school juggernaut Link Academy in Branson, Mo.

Small forward Karter Knox, a younger brother of former Kentucky one-and-done player Kevin Knox, checked in at No. 5 in the new Rivals rankings.

Point guard Boogie Fland, another top UK recruit who recently wrapped up a visit to Indiana, is No. 6 in the refreshed Rivals rankings.

Other notable rankings among class of 2024 players include Kentucky high school boys’ basketball scoring leader and UK recruit Travis Perry (up six spots to No. 80 in the Rivals rankings), reclassification candidate and UK recruit Somto Cyril (down 12 spots to No. 40) and John Calipari-legacy and UK recruit Billy Richmond (soaring up 72 spots to No. 37).

Kentucky has already extended scholarship offers to seven players in the class of 2025, which breaks from the traditional approach that John Calipari has taken to recruiting.

Among the class of 2025 players who have received a UK offer is former in-state star guard Jasper Johnson, who also recently announced his move from Woodford County High School to Link Academy.

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Kentucky basketball is all-in on freshmen and the reason has nothing to do with NIL