Top-30 senior Acaden Lewis announced his commitment to Kentucky on Saturday, giving Mark Pope and the Wildcats their second impact guard in the 2025 class.
Lewis also had Duke and UConn on his final list, although both programs had already taken top-20 recruits at the point guard position in recent weeks. He took official visits to all three schools, with Kentucky getting the final visit and winning him over.
"I feel like the opportunity is there to start and play a priority role early as their point guards are all leaving," Lewis told ESPN. "Coach Pope and his staff have also made me the biggest priority through their actions. They have been down to visit me and talk basketball an extensive amount. I love the system they run, it's fast-paced and allows guards to make reads and run the team, and allows freedom while still having rules."
While the looming departures of point guards Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa played a role in Lewis' decision, it was also his relationship with Pope that led him to Lexington.
"Pope is not only a great basketball mind but a genuine person," Lewis said. "He's impressed me talking basketball and also his philanthropy efforts have impressed and intrigued me as well."
A 6-foot-2 point guard from Washington D.C. who attends Sidwell Friends (Maryland), Lewis had a breakout high school campaign as a junior, winning Gatorade Player of the Year for Washington D.C., and then backed that up with Team Durant on the Nike EYBL circuit in the spring and summer. He averaged 16.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists in EYBL play, ranking third on the circuit in assists.
Lewis has a strong feel for the game and plays with poise and pace. The left-handed guard is excellent at finding his spot on the floor to score or create for others and his range extends well beyond the arc.
Lewis is the third top-50 prospect to commit to Pope and Kentucky in the 2025 class, joining five-star guard Jasper Johnson (No. 13) and in-state center Malachi Moreno (No. 37).
Lewis says he's looking forward to playing in front of the Rupp Arena faithful.
"BBN is absolutely crazy," he said of Kentucky's fanbase. "They are in my DMs telling me to come over and on my visit many of them knew me and even wished me a happy birthday. The community feels real."
