Kentucky beats out UNC and Alabama for Jasper Johnson commitment

New Kentucky coach Mark Pope scored a commanding victory in the recruiting hunt Thursday when five-star guard Jasper Johnson announced his commitment to the Wildcats, who beat out North Carolina and Alabama for his pledge.

Arkansas and Louisville were also among Johnson's five finalists, but in recent months it's been a three-team battle: Kentucky, North Carolina and Alabama. At the end of the July period, Alabama was perceived as the favorite, but Pope and the Wildcats have made strides in recent weeks to become Johnson's destination.

While Johnson attended Link Academy (Missouri) last season and signed with Overtime Elite in July, he is a Lexington native returning home for college.

“Being from Lexington and playing for my hometown and home state school meant something to me,” he told ESPN. “Rupp Arena is a magical place.”

The Pope and his aides made their final presentation earlier this week.

“I became friends with the staff. They were very consistent in the recruiting process. They took the time to get to know me,” Johnson said. “The whole staff came to my apartment at midnight the first night the coaches were allowed out. It was great.”

Johnson, a 6-foot-4 guard, is ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 100 rankings. He averaged 14.8 points per game for the Team Thad program on the Nike EYBL circuit during the spring before scoring 19.8 points in five games at the Nike Peach Jam in July. Johnson also helped lead the USA Basketball under-18 team to a gold medal at the FIBA ​​AmeriCup in June, averaging 10.0 points per game and shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range.

Johnson is one of the best pure scorers in the country, combining shooting, quick drives to the rim and creative finishing. He stands nearly 6-foot-6 and has demonstrated the ability to defend the ball. His strength is spreading the floor with his three-point shot. Johnson forces defenders to close out the game with a drive mentality, and once in the zone, he has a reliable floater and hits his layups. His passing vision and natural playmaking instincts allow him to play either guard position.

Pope has already landed two key in-state players to start his 2025 class, and Johnson follows top-50 center Malachi Moreno, who committed in August. Johnson is the second-highest-ranked prospect from the 2025 class who has committed at this point, and top-10 guard Darius Acuff (Arkansas) is the only committed prospect with a higher ranking.

Other targets on Pope's list for 2025 include Nate Ament (No. 4 on the ESPN 100), Caleb Wilson (No. 5), Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 7), Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 12), Tounde Yessoufou (No. 18) and Braylon Mullins (No. 24).