D. J. Wagner facts for kids
| No. 21 – Kentucky Wildcats | |
|---|---|
| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 4, 2005 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| High school | Camden (Camden, New Jersey) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (2023–present) |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Dajuan Marquett "D. J." Wagner Jr. (born May 4, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He is the son of a former professional basketball player Dajuan Wagner and grandson of professional player Milt Wagner. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class.
High school career
During the summer heading into his freshman season at Camden High School, Wagner was one of just three Class of 2023 prospects invited to the USA Basketball July mini camp in Colorado Springs. He was invited back to a second USA Basketball event several months later, before the start of the high school basketball season in New Jersey.
In his first game, December 20, 2019, in front of a capacity crowd that waited more than an hour to try to get admission into the game, Wagner scored 15 points despite missing 6 of his first 7 field goal attempts.
Coached by former NBA player Rick Brunson, Wagner helped lead Camden to 25 consecutive victories before the team's season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Camden earned New Jersey Boys Basketball Team of the Year honors by NJ.com.
As a freshman, Wagner averaged 18.5 points en route to earning MaxPreps Freshman All-American honors. On January 24, 2023 Wagner became the first third-generation McDonald's All-American, joining both his father Dajuan and grandfather Milt.
As a junior, he averaged 19.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 steals per game, helping Camden to the NJSIAA Group 2 state championship. As a senior, he averaged 22.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, leading his team to a 23–2 record.
Recruiting
Wagner was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services. In the middle of his junior season, Wagner saw his ranking of number one player in the class of 2023 drop to third by Rivals after holding the reign of consensus number one pick in the class of 2023 for two years since 2020. On November 14, 2022, Wagner committed to playing college basketball for Kentucky over an offer from Louisville.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. J. Wagner PG / SG |
Camden, NJ | Camden (NJ) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 14, 2022 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 93 |
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 6 247Sports: 6 ESPN: 4 | ||||||
Sources: |
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Personal life
Wagner is the son of Dajuan Wagner and Syreeta Brittingham. Dajuan Wagner was the 6th pick in the 2002 NBA draft. His grandfather, Milt Wagner, was a second-round pick in the 1986 NBA draft. He is seeking to become the first-ever third-generation NBA player.
