'25 4-star guard Jerry Easter says offer from Mark Pope would be big: "Kentucky will always be Kentucky"

2025 four-star guard Jerry Easter has had a strong start to the Nike EYBL season, averaging 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 29.8 minutes per contest through three sessions — the latest in front of coaches during the first live period of the spring. Standing 6-4, 200 pounds, the Toledo, OH native is strong and physical with a college-ready frame, putting those tools on full display in Indianapolis.

Among the coaches in attendance seeing what Easter has to offer playing for Team Final, the former EYBL program of Justin Edwards? Kentucky‘s Mark Pope with associate head coach Alvin Brooks III also courtside for the top-30 prospect.

The Wildcat staff let Easter know going into the weekend they’d be checking him out, and he noticed they kept their word.

“They’ve just been watching me, seeing how I’m doing. I’ve just wanted to show them I’m a hard worker and I just like to win,” he told KSR. “I hate losing, I hate when I have bad games. I’ve just got to have a short-term memory, go to the next one. I just want to show them that even on bad days, I can come back stronger the next game and the game after that.”

Kentucky wasn’t the only school in attendance, obviously. With thousands of coaches in attendance and a top-30 prospect taking the floor, you can bet the seats will be full of heavy hitters.

“Oregon, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Michigan State, Baylor, USC, UCLA, Memphis, Miami — I wish I could remember them all off the top of my head because I don’t want to miss any,” Easter said of the schools recruiting him the hardest right now and among those he noticed watched him throughout the weekend.

Two that got him on campus for official visits recently? The Yellow Jackets and Ducks.

“My first visit to Georgia Tech, that one was good with Coach Stoudamire. That was a good one,” Easter said. “He’s a new coach, he came from the NBA and develops point guards. I like that and I feel like he’d develop me if I went there.”

“Oregon, Coach (Brian) Fish, he’s been recruiting me with Coach (Dana) Altman,” he added. “When I visited there, I liked the environment. It was like a big family because I was there before they went to the Pac-12 Tournament, I was tuned in all the way through till they won it. They stuck together and it was a big family. Everybody supported them there and that’s what I really like, especially those facilities. It’s the headquarters of Nike and you can’t go wrong with that.”

Any others potentially on the table?

“I’m trying to set one up with Baylor, maybe with Koa Peat — I’m trying to take an official visit with him,” Easter said. “I don’t know yet, but that’s up there. And Miami in September with Ohio State and Michigan State sometime during the school year. Those are the schools I’ve got so far.

Where does Kentucky fit into the mix? The 6-5 guard hopes things ramp up after an impressive showing in Indianapolis and to open AAU season. That was a school that caught his attention as a kid and he likes what he’s seen out of Mark Pope early.

“I know the new coach that is there, and honestly, I know a lot about Kentucky since even before Coach Cal. Kentucky, Lexington, I’ve heard a lot of good things,” Easter told KSR. “They come out and support, they really support their teams and I like that environment. I like big crowds — I’m used to that in my hometown. You can’t go wrong with Kentucky.

“Kentucky will always be Kentucky. I used to watch Kentucky a lot when I was little, so if I got an offer from there, that’d be big.”

Who else does he have his eye on? Honestly, he’s grateful for the options he has now and will take things one step at a time from there, if necessary. It’s a nice spot to be in as one of the top guards in his class.

“I’m just happy with the schools that have recruited me so far. I’m fine with new schools and I care about them, but the schools that have recruited me, I’m blessed that they’ve taken the time to offer me and like my game,” he told KSR. “There were some schools I liked when I was younger like North Carolina, Kansas and Duke, those types of schools, but they didn’t reach out to me. I just have to look forward to the schools that recruited me and continue to get better.”

As for a decision, that remains fluid after seeing just how hectic the transfer portal cycle has been the past few months. He had been set on announcing late, but if the right situation presents itself and he’s comfortable moving forward, he’s not afraid to make the jump earlier.

“Right now, I think I’m doing it later, but with the transfer portal, teams need to get their players and the time goes fast. I might do it earlier because I don’t want to wait and stuff happens,” he said. “I could do it during the La Lumiere Classic in December or January, but if things are getting crazy with the transfer portal, I may do it earlier.”

We’ll see where things go from here with the Cats.