Aaron Bradshaw

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- D.J. Wagner is not the only player on the New Jersey Scholars AAU basketball team that program director Pervis Ellison is convinced will be a first-round NBA Draft pick.

Recruiting services have touted Wagner since the eighth grade. Ellison asks that you do not overlook other members of his squad, especially Aaron Bradshaw, the Scholars’ 7 foot tall center.

“This young man, if you had seen him three years ago and seen the progression that he’s gone through, I think the sky is the limit for this young man,” Ellison said.

“I tell everybody all the time, that kid is going to be a future lottery pick. He has the mindset, the attitude, the dedication. He’s going to be a good one.”

Wagner is a guard. Bradshaw is more of a rim-running, shot-blocking, dunk-producing, traditional center. Wagner and Bradshaw excel for the Scholars and at Camden (N.J.) High School, where they won a state title in March.

Like Wagner, Bradshaw has Louisville and Kentucky (among others) on the list of college programs he will visit and consider.

Several months ago, Louisville was not a consideration. Now the Cards are most certainly a consideration, especially after Bradshaw visited Louisville for the Nike EYBL AAU event last weekend.

Credit the work done by new U of L coach Kenny Payne and his staff. And also credit Ellison.

“I liked it here a lot,” Bradshaw said during his weekend visit. “Especially the real genuineness of the people and the things that I saw.”

Has Louisville stirred your attention?

“They’ve got my attention,” Bradshaw said. “Especially this guy right here.”

Bradshaw pointed at Ellison.

That’s understandable. Ellison spotted Bradshaw at a workout facility in southwestern New Jersey several years ago. As the program director, Ellison invited Bradshaw to join the Scholars.

Ellison achieved what Bradshaw wants to achieve, as a traditional rim-running, shot-blocking, dunk-producing center. Ellison won a national title at Louisville in 1986. He was taken with the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

And, for 37 years, Ellison has been best friends with Payne.

“(Payne) is a former player who has gone through everything these kids are going to go through,” Ellison said. “Kids seem to gravitate now to people who have been through what they’re going to go through.

“So when you hear Kenny speak, it’s genuine. You can hear his concerns. You can hear his thought process, of how he can take a kid from where that kid is now, develop him and (get him) where he wants to be in the future. That’s a winning formula.”

Along with his teammates, Bradshaw visited the Muhammad Ali Center. He saw the KFC Yum! Center where the Cardinals play their home games. He dined at Wick’s Pizza in the Highlands.  

Bradshaw noticed the strong turnout of former Cardinals at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center as the Scholars won four of five games over three days.

Russ Smith came out. So did Junior Bridgeman, Darrell Griffith and Wade Houston. And Jerry Eaves, Nate Johnson, Robbie Valentine, Wiley Brown, Tick Rogers and Milt Wagner. I also saw Chane Behannan, Will Olliges and Kevin Walls. And three current U of L players.

Don’t forget Ellison, who has become one of Bradshaw’s most persistent mentors.

“(Ellison) told me that it was a great city, a great place to be and a real good environment,” Bradshaw said.

“The most important thing he ever said to me was, ‘If you want this game, you’re going to have to take it. If you really want to play, you’re going to have to work for it.’ ”

Bradshaw, who is 16, has been taking it. Over the last year, he has jumped to No. 23 nationally on the list of Rivals top players in the Class of 2023, No. 20 at ESPN and No. 21 at 247Sports.

In five games in Louisville, Bradshaw averaged 15 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 steals. The Scholars will play another EYBL event in Kansas City this month before they travel to the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., July 17 and try to win the national title.

Bradshaw said his plan was to make his college choice after the Peach Jam but before his senior high school season begins. As for the possibility of continuing to team with D.J. Wagner in college?

Maybe. Maybe not.

“It will come up but we’re two separate people,” Bradshaw said. “He’ll go wherever he goes and I’ll go wherever I go.”

Until then, Bradshaw will return to the gym — with Ellison in his ear.

“I always knew I was a good player,” Bradshaw said. “But until I built that confidence and really working, working with guys like Perv and Juanny (Wagner, D.J.’s father), guys like that, at the end of the 10th grade, that’s when I really realized that I could be the best big man in the country.

“So I started working toward that. I have to get stronger, way stronger.

“(Ellison) helped me tremendously. I went from not working out that much to working out every day and staying focused.”

“Oh, we’re going to put that work in,” Ellison said.

Ellison repeated his belief that Aaron Bradshaw will be a first-round NBA Draft pick. If you say that, you have to help a young player chase that goal. Ellison is committed to that.

“Aaron was focused on trying to be the best player in the gym,” Ellison said. “But my thing was trying to make him the best player in the world.

“That’s my prayer and my hope for this young man. He’s got a tremendously bright future.

“I’m going to give him all the experiences that I’ve had. All the mistakes that I’ve had. I’m going to make sure that he knows all those land mines that are out there. So he and his mom can make great decisions.”

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