Four-Star 2019 Wing D.J. Jeffries Decommits From Kentucky

Jeffries is the No. 37 ranked recruit in the nation and has ties to new Memphis coach Penny Hardaway.
Four-Star 2019 Wing D.J. Jeffries Decommits From Kentucky
Four-Star 2019 Wing D.J. Jeffries Decommits From Kentucky /

Four-star 2019 wing D.J. Jeffries has decommitted from Kentucky, he announced on Twitter on Monday.

Jeffries, a 6'7" wing from Olive Branch (Miss.) High School and the No. 37 ranked recruit in the nation on the 247Sports Composite, committed to John Calipari and the Wildcats back on March 12. At the time, he chose UK over Mississippi State and Alabama.

"After careful consideration prayer and countless hours of consulting with my family I decided to reopen [my] recruitment it was a hard decision but I am confident that taking my time to choose the right school for me to better myself educationally and athletically is the right choice," he tweeted.

Jeffries is an AAU teammate of James Wiseman, the top recruit in the 2019 class, and previously said he was recruiting Wiseman to join him in Lexington. Wiseman's recruitment is believed to be a battle between Kentucky and Memphis, as he played for new Tigers coach Penny Hardaway at East High School in Memphis. Jeffries played for Hardaway on the EYBL circuit in 2017 and attends high school just 15 miles away from Memphis's campus, leading to speculation that the Tigers could be involved now that he has re-opened his recruitment.

His father, Corey Jeffries, added some substance to the speculation on Tuesday morning in an interview with 92.9 FM in Memphis, adding some comments about how Kentucky handled Jeffries’s decision.

Corey Jeffries also told 92.9's John Martin that in addition to Memphis, his son will also take an official visit to Mississippi State.

Jeffries's decommitment leaves five-star, top-10 recruit Tyrese Maxey as the Wildcats' lone current commit in the 2019 class at this early stage of the recruiting cycle.


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Molly Geary
MOLLY GEARY

Molly Geary is an associate editor for SI.com. A graduate of the University of Maryland, Geary has worked for the company since 2014.