5-star V.J. King plans to visit UK, U of L

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Kentucky and Louisville basketball teams are expected to get campus visits soon from five-star junior wing V.J. King, a high-scoring, athletic player from Northern Virginia.

After scoring 38 points in a loss Monday at the Spalding HoopHall Classic, the 6-foot-7 King mentioned UK, U of L, North Carolina and Florida as schools he wants to visit this spring.

King, the nation's No. 16 player in 2016, according to ESPN.com, is in his first season at Paul VI High School after moving from Akron, Ohio.

He has been in touch with U of L assistant Kenny Johnson, who was on the staff at Paul VI from 2007 to '11, and they've begun to build a good relationship. He's not spoken with head coach Rick Pitino.

"I've heard a lot from them," King said. "I watched them during the Duke game. They play like us. They run and jump, and they play fast. I have an interest in Louisville definitely."

King has not finalized visit dates, U of L, UK, UNC or Florida, but he said the latter two might be to games this season. Trips to Louisville and Lexington might not be to games.

King, who plans to sign with a college in November, has no set recruiting list right now and said most major programs around the country are contacting him. Arizona and UConn were some of the others he mentioned off the top of his head that are recruiting him hard.

UK coach John Calipari made King an offer in late July while King was training with the U.S. U17 World Championship team, and came Paul VI in the preseason. King said UK assistants have been to his game this season, and he said it was "humbling" to get a UK offer. It motivates him to keep working hard.

"Kentucky speaks for itself, so I don't really have to talk about the program," King said. "It's Cal; he does what he does. He puts people in the league. I could definitely see myself in that jersey, too, one day."

King said he's been impressed with the level of defense top-ranked UK has played this season.

"Even with the great players – and they have nine (McDonald's) All Americans on their team – they're playing great defense," King said. "That's how they win games. I don't see a lot of people beating them this year."

Paul VI lost 88-78 Monday to St. Louis' Chaminade College Prep. It was a matchup of elite wings in King and Chaminade's Jayson Tatum, who had 25 points and 14 rebounds.

King said Tatum, who he's known since elementary school through camps and USA Basketball, is his best friend among the top players around the country.

"It was fun to be out there together," King said. "It's nothing personal. It was just two great players going at it. He got the best of me this time."

King said he and Tatum, arguably the top player in the entire 2016 class, have talked about playing together in college, but he declined to name which common schools they're considering. At least some of the common ones – based on Tatum's list of 10 and King's Monday comments of who's recruiting him – would be UK, Arizona and Connecticut.

UConn coach Kevin Ollie attended Monday's game, and King has visited there.

"I could definitely see myself being in one of those jerseys someday," he said.

Steve Jones can be reached at (502) 582-7176 and followed on Twitter at @SteveJones_CJ.