By Casey Madis Nov, 2 2024
Kentucky’s men’s basketball team has made a concerted effort to bring in high-profile recruits for its 2025 recruiting class. For the first time, Mark Pope has landed a commitment from outside Kentucky.
Acaden Lewis, a highly-touted recruit from Washington, DC, announced his college decision Saturday, choosing Kentucky over UConn and Duke. Lewis made his commitment at Sidwell Friends School, and it was broadcast by ON3 Recruits and Joe Tipton.
“It felt like a community: Pope was in the neighborhood with me, came to my barbershop and everything. His staff is great; they’ve done a lot for me—film sessions and everything like that. It just felt like home, somewhere I should be, and the system is great. It just felt right.”
Acaden Lewis is the third commit in the class of 2025. Along with Lewis, Kentucky’s class includes Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. While Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has had success bringing in high-profile in-state recruits, he has now proven he can also recruit out-of-state.
Acaden Lewis went on multiple visits, with his first unofficial visit to Kentucky on May 31 and another on June 17. On that same day, he received an official offer from the University of Kentucky. He also visited North Carolina, Syracuse, UConn, Duke, and several other schools.
Lewis’s official visit to Kentucky was capped off with Big Blue Madness, and roughly three weeks later, he committed to Kentucky.
Acaden Lewis is ranked 32nd nationally by 247sports.com, close to achieving five-star recruit status. His stock began to rise this summer while playing for Team Durant 17U in the EYBL.
Acaden Lewis’ commitment marks a pivotal step in Kentucky’s recruiting for the class of 2025. With Acaden Lewis, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno committed Kentucky will shift focus to one of the top remaining recruits, Caleb Wilson.
