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Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images
Kentucky basketball has officially entered the mix for one of the top players in the 2027 recruiting class, extending an offer to 5-star small forward Ryan Hampton on Monday, per his social media.
Hampton, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound standout from Daytona Beach, Florida, is ranked as the No. 5 overall player and the No. 1 small forward in the Class of 2027, according to 247 Sports. He is also the younger brother of former NBA first-round pick RJ Hampton, adding to an already impressive basketball pedigree.
Hampton is coming off a strong season at DME Academy (FL), further solidifying his status as one of the nation’s premier prospects. His recruitment has quickly picked up steam, with reported official visits to NC State, SMU, and Nebraska already taken.
Notably, his NC State visit came when Will Wade was leading the program, though Wade has since moved on to LSU, which is a school that has recently generated buzz in Hampton’s recruitment, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw.
“LSU was a school I heard about a couple of times this weekend with regard to Hampton’s recruitment,” Shaw wrote.
However, this update did come before Kentucky offered Hampton a scholarship on Monday, which could have made a significant impact on this recruitment.
Shaw also said that there’s been talk of Hampton reclassifying into 2026, something fellow On3 reporter Joe Tipton said on Sunday. You have to think LSU and Kentucky would both like Hampton to reclass and bolster their respective rosters, which are a bit lacking. That’s especially true for the Tigers, who have just one player committed from the transfer portal for next season in Mo Dioubate, meaning they’ll offer a much clearer path to a starting role for Hampton.
Kentucky, led by head coach Mark Pope, has been active in Hampton’s recruitment dating back to the fall of 2024. While previous assistant coaches played a key role in building that relationship, the new-look staff is now continuing those efforts with an official offer.
Hampton’s recruitment already includes offers from LSU, Auburn, Baylor, Kansas, and several others. There has also been growing discussion about the possibility of him reclassifying into the 2026 cycle. With multiple roster spots still to fill, Kentucky could become a serious contender as his recruitment continues to evolve.
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