Good news:Top-Tier Center Emerges as a Reclassification Prospect.Julius is ranked as…
A new candidate has emerged to complete the 2024 roster. Julius Halaifouna, a seven-foot, two-hundred-and-ninety-pound center from New Zealand, has been in discussions with Coach Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Julius is ranked as the No. 33 overall player in the 2025 class and the No. 3 center. Regarding his game, he stated, “Some of my greatest strengths on the court are my passing and being able to score at all three levels in the post and out on the three as well. Defensively, I’m able to get out, disrupt the ball handler, and switch three through five. I can guard guys on the perimeter and in the post. Those are really my strengths on both sides of the court.”
Julius also shared his criteria for choosing a school: “Looking at the colleges, I definitely want to go to a place that utilizes their bigs, in terms of being able to score and playmake through their bigs. Whether it’s on the perimeter or post, it’s definitely something I’ll be looking into when deciding on what college I want to attend.”
Given Halaifonua’s comments, Kentucky appears to have a strong chance of landing this prized recruit. Coach Pope has a reputation for effectively utilizing elite big men who can pass and spread the floor.
Julius has mentioned that he will take some time to decide whether or not to reclassify. Regardless of which class he ends up in, he is definitely one to watch for the Wildcats.
