Is DJ Wagner left-handed? Exploring Kentucky guard's NBA draft stock and eligibility

Coming into this season, Kentucky guard DJ Wagner was one of the newcomers to look out for in college basketball. Wagner was a top-rated recruit of the 2023 class, having a consensus five-star rating, which put him on the radar of many top programs. When he eventually committed to Kentucky over programs like Louisville, it seemed like a good match.

The Jersey-born Kentucky freshman has been featured prominently in the team’s campaign this season. Wagner has scored an average of 10.3 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game this season. As he continues to have a good season, Wagner’s style of play has many wondering whether he’s left-handed or not. We answer this question and more below.

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Is DJ Wagner left-handed?

DJ Wagner can more appropriately be described as ambidextrous, at least as far as basketball goes. This is because of how effectively he uses both hands on the court. This perfect blend of both hands has led Kyle Tucker of The Athletic to describe Wagner as “the most left-handed right-hander” he has ever seen.

Kentucky Sports Radio reporter Bradley Ramsey has also raised a concern about Wagner’s excessive tendency to throw layups only with his left hand. He wrote on his X account,

“I’m not really sure why DJ Wagner will ONLY shoot left-handed layups, but it’s becoming worrisome. Almost exclusively drives it left. Had an easy right hand layup but crossed over to the left side and made it 10x harder resulting in a miss. Would have put UK up by 14 points. Odd.”

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Exploring DJ Wagner’s Draft stock and eligibility

NBA scouts have had eyes on Wagner right from high school. It is not known yet whether the 18-year-old will declare for the draft, which is set to be held in June. However, he will meet the basic conditions of eligibility by the time of the draft and could be on his way to the NBA he chooses.

Ole Miss v Kentucky

Many would argue that Wagner has enough talent to make a mark in the NBA. However, it is important to note that he hasn’t quite reached his best potential as a college hoops star. While his stats are impressive for a freshman, he needs to find the consistency that separates big stars from average players.