5/13/2020 basketball Edit

UK's Justus named one of nation's top coaches under 40

Kentucky assistant coach worked on defensive assignments during a game this season. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)

Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated

Managing Editor

Joined the Cats Illustrated staff in the summer of 2017. Veteran reporter and photographer who has covered UK sports dating back to 1987.

Kentucky's Joel Justus has been ranked among the nation's top young basketball coaches.

ESPN named the 38-year-old Justus the No. 25 coach in the country in its "40 Under 40" list released Wednesday.

Justus, who has been on John Calipari's UK staff since the 2014-15 season, was selected by ESPN college basketball writers Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, and John Gasaway. They ranked the coaches on both achievements and potential.

Wes Miller, 37, of UNC Greensboro, topped the ESPN list. Some other familiar names included Will Wade, 38, of LSU at No. 3, and Richard Pitino, 37, of Minnesota at No. 6.

During the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 season, Justus helped the Wildcats win another SEC regular-season championship and played a key role in recruiting the nation's No. 1 signing class.

He has earned praise from Calipari for helping develop backcourt players like Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey, Ashton Hagans, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Keldon Johnson, and Tyler Herro in recent years.

Justus joined the staff during UK's historic 2014-15 season as director of analytics. He helped form a two-platoon system that became one of the all-time best defensive teams en route to a 38-0 start.