King Gibson, the No. 2-Ranked Player in 2027, Believes a Kentucky Offer Could Happen Soon

2027 five-star guard King Gibson looked every bit the part of the best guard in the country over the weekend. Was it enough to earn an offer from Kentucky?

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound combo guard from SPIRE Academy (Burlington, NC) has been hearing from the Kentucky staff for almost a year, but the Cats still haven’t offered. He told KSR that he believes that could change, but when?

“Soon,” Gibson said.

Gibson has been in contact with a lot of Kentucky’s staff. Head coach Mark Pope has been maintaining contact, while assistant coaches Mikhail McLean and Mo Williams also reach out to Gibson regularly.

“They see me as a point guard, a player with the ball in my hands that makes the right decision, but can play off the ball as well,” Gibson said. “It’s a historic program. A lot of guards have come out of there. Even with the new staff, they didn’t have a great year this year, but it’s a great staff coming in. You know the players they’ve developed. It’s great.”

When Mo Williams was hired as an assistant coach at Kentucky this offseason, he immediately made Gibson a priority. Gibson said he recently talked with Williams for two hours on the phone.

“He gave me a lot of feedback, just letting me know what he wanted to see from me. It was before session one, so he let me know what he wanted to see from me in session one,” Gibson said. “He told me to keep going, keep being consistent, and keep making the right plays, being a scorer, showing that I can pass the ball too, and being in attack mode, every play.”

Are More Visits on the Way?

It’s no surprise that King Gibson, the No. 2 player in the country, has a who’s who of suitors in the 2027 class. He told KSR that the schools in contact regularly include Syracuse, NC State, Baylor, Michigan, and UConn.

“The recruiting is going great,” Gibson said. “There are a lot of schools that have been in touch. I’m just keeping my options open at this point.”

Gibson hasn’t had any recent in-home visits. He’s already visited Michigan and NC State. He doesn’t have any upcoming visits set, but says those will come “soon.”

“I definitely want to visit Kentucky. I’ve already been to Michigan, but I definitely want to go back to Michigan for an official,” Gibson said. “NC State, I want to see the campus and meet with the new staff. UConn, of course, and Arkansas.”

Gibson’s recruiting process is heating up quickly. This summer, heading into the fall, will be a crucial time for him.

“Going into the fall, I’m focusing a lot of my time on my college decision, going into next school season,” Gibson said. “You want to feel comfortable about where you’re going.”

King Gibson’s Game

Spire (Ohio) Academy five-star combo guard King Gibson is the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. Rivals ranks Gibson as the No. 1 combo guard and the No. 2 overall player in the 2027 class. He looked just the part over the weekend at the Nike EYBL in Memphis.

“I’m definitely trying to show a lot, like my versatility, how I can shoot the ball, keep being consistent with that, and definitely the defense side, showing that I can play both ends,” Gibson said. “[I] definitely [see myself] like a combo guard. I can play on the ball or off the ball. It will definitely depend on who’s around me.”