DJ Wagner, the top-rated college basketball recruit in the 2023 class, has signed to play for the Kentucky Wildcats and the coach who helped his father develop into an NBA lottery pick, John Calipari.

Wagner, a rising senior at Camden High School in South Jersey, ended a battle between UK and archrival Louisville that crossed family ties by announcing his pledge to the Wildcats on Monday via ESPN's Paul Biancardi. The 6-foot-3 combo guard has also signed his National Letter of Intent, according to a news release from UK Athletics formally introducing the Wildcats' 2023 haul.

"Coach John Calipari was always straightforward and honest with me. He said he would be with me until the wheels fall off the car either way," Wagner told ESPN. "And that meant so much to me. I’m coming there to win. Winning comes first with me and I want to help Kentucky win as much as possible."

Wagner joins Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel as the third No. 1 overall player on 247Sports' rankings to commit to Kentucky during Calipari's 13-year tenure in Lexington.

"I have known D.J. his entire life and I’ve always wanted to coach him," Calipari said in a statement from UK Athletics. "Above all he is a competitor. He attacks the offensive end and is a versatile scorer, but he is equally as tough on defense. I love the spirit he’ll bring to practice every day, and I love that he wanted to be at Kentucky. He knows that to get the best of himself, he needs to be surrounded by other talented players who are going to match his competitive energy."

Kentucky was the heavy favorite to land Wagner, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, because his father, Dajuan Wagner, played for Calipari for a season at Memphis before being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the sixth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. His stepbrother, Kareem Watkins, is in his junior season with the Wildcats after joining the team as a walk-on in November 2020.

The Cardinals, however, gained momentum when former UK assistant Kenny Payne was hired in March to succeed Chris Mack.

Kentucky basketball recruiting:These players have committed to the Wildcats' 2023 class

Payne played with Wagner's grandfather, Milt Wagner, at Louisville during the 1980s and brought the program legend onto his staff as director of player development and alumni relations in May. It also didn't hurt the coach's chances that another one of his former teammates, Pervis Ellison, was in Wagner's orbit as the program director of his AAU team, NJ Scholars.

Predictions of Wagner to U of L from pundits at 247Sports and Rivals.com emerged in the wake of his grandfather once again teaming up with Payne. The Cardinals made a show of force with a strong turnout of fans and former greats when the top-rated prospect took the court in the 502 over Memorial Day weekend with the Scholars on Nike's EYBL circuit. By June, On3's Jamie Shaw reported that "the Wagner recruitment has been done for a few weeks" and "the family’s trust in head coach Kenny Payne is what got the job done."

"This was an extremely difficult decision that I went back-and-forth with for a long time," Wagner told ESPN. "That's why it took so long."

In the weeks leading up to Wagner's announcement, however, Kentucky took an overwhelming lead.

DJ Wagner, Aaron Bradshaw:How the top 2023 basketball recruits let their game do the talking during EYBL session in Louisville

For starters, a report from 247Sports surfaced in late September that Wagner was scheduled to attend Big Blue Madness on Oct. 14 but did not plan to make a return trip to the commonwealth for U of L basketball's annual tipoff event, Louisville Live, on Oct. 21. Four days before the coveted prospect was to arrive in Lexington, he was introduced as a member of the Nike Basketball family.

The name, image and likeness deal deepened Wagner's ties with UK's apparel sponsor after he was featured in an ad campaign for NOCTA, Nike's sub-label collaboration with chart-topping rapper Drake, over the summer. In a moment of well-timed product placement, the Big Blue Madness emcees noted that some of the basketballs being used during the event's 3-point contest were from the NOCTA line with Wagner and other high-profile recruits sitting courtside at Rupp Arena.

"The atmosphere at Kentucky is unbelievable," Wagner told ESPN. "I've been there several times and it's what I'm most comfortable with."

DJ Wagner:Top 2023 basketball recruit signs NIL deal with Nike

Wagner is the fifth rising senior to join Calipari's 2023 class, which is in line to overtake Duke for the top spot on 247Sports' national leaderboard after the coveted guard announced his pledge. He will look to continue his electric chemistry with longtime teammate Aaron Bradshaw, a dominant post presence, while playing alongside five-star point guard Robert Dillingham, five-star small forward (Justin Edwards) and four-star legacy commit Reed Sheppard.

"I couldn’t be more excited about this class," Calipari said via UK Athletics. "We have five talented and dynamic players who have the drive and commitment it takes to succeed at Kentucky. They all know this isn’t for everyone, and they have welcomed that challenge and want to be pushed not only by our coaching staff, but by other really good players every day. Their potential to be great is there, now it is up to them to embrace this stage and come in every day ready to work."

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: DJ Wagner, top 2023 recruit, picks Kentucky basketball over Louisville