Kentucky basketball lands commitment from elite 7-foot-5 center
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When John Calipari called Lexington home, the Kentucky Wildcats lived in the top of the high school recruiting realm. Their presence in that area has waned under Mark Pope, but he got back to business in a big way on Wednesday.
Cherif Millogo, a 7-foot-5, 250 lb. center hailing from La Canada Flintridge, CA, has committed to Kentucky. The Burkina Faso native picked the Wildcats over Alabama, Arkansas, Louisville, North Carolina, Tennessee and others.
Millogo is the No. 27 player in the 2027 recruiting class, per 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s the No. 6 center in the class and No. 2 player in the state of California, behind only UConn commit Navarro Bowman Jr.
Millogo isn’t plodding like most men of his stature. He can move and shoot the ball from both the mid-range and outside. His conditioning will need to improve, but the raw skillset is obvious.
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Millogo lives with former UCLA player Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who played for the Bruins from 2005-08. Mbah a Moute, Millogo’s legal guardian, made three Final Fours before embarking upon a 12-year NBA career. He averaged 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in the Association.
Alongside Rockwall, TX guard Ryan Hampton, Kentucky now has two top 30 players locked in for 2027-28. The Wildcats face James Madison in their second game of the 2026-27 season on Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET (SEC Network).
