Kentucky has jumped into the recruitment of five-star prospect Trevor Keels.
UK extended a scholarship offer to Keels — a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Fairfax, Va. — this week. He’s the No. 20 overall player in the 2021 class, as well as the top available shooting guard in that group, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Tipton Edits first reported the UK offer Friday night, and the Herald-Leader has confirmed that the Wildcats will indeed be trying to land Keels for their 2021 recruiting class.
Keels had previously narrowed his college list to Duke, Villanova and Virginia, though his recruitment has been difficult to handicap, and there has been no timetable set for his commitment. He told 247Sports last month that it’s been difficult to come to a decision among those three schools.
That decision likely got tougher with the offer from Kentucky, which is still looking for at least one prominent backcourt addition for next season. UK is expected to lose current freshmen Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke to the NBA Draft, and it’s not yet certain who else might return off the current Wildcats team.
There has been increased speculation in recent weeks that Davion Mintz might return to UK next season while completing his graduate studies. The veteran guard came to Kentucky from Creighton expecting to play just one season, but the NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to every player in the country, due to COVID-19, and that provision would allow Mintz to play a second season for the Wildcats.
The only other scholarship guards on this season’s team are freshmen Devin Askew and Dontaie Allen. Both are expected to return for the 2021-22 season.
UK has already signed highly touted point guard Nolan Hickman for next season, but the backcourt options beyond that are slim.
The Wildcats extended scholarship offers to five-star guards Jaden Hardy and Hunter Sallis — both top-10 national recruits — earlier in the process, though UK doesn’t appear to be the leader for either player. Both of those prospects are listed as combo guards by 247Sports.
The 247Sports composite rankings have Keels as the No. 3 shooting guard nationally in the 2021 class, behind only Michigan State commitment Max Christie and Georgetown commitment Aminu Mohammed.