5-star guard Jasper Johnson nearing commitment, looking for 'right fit'

A decision is right around the corner for 2025 five-star guard Jasper Johnson — a few of them, actually. For starters, he’s got to announce his plans regarding his final season of high school basketball. That overlaps with the reclassification talk that’s surrounded the Lexington native for years now, finally set to conclude one way or another based on that first decision. Will he be enrolling in college in the coming weeks or a high school, cementing himself as a member of the ’25 class? He says to expect the latter.

From there, a college commitment. He’s in decision mode now and should have a decision on a school before the end of the summer, potentially “in the next month or so.”

“I’ll be announcing where I’m finishing up high school, where I’ll be playing my senior year (soon),” Johnson said at Peach Jam on Friday. “And then in the next month or so, my college decision. I will probably cut down my list very soon and we’ll go from there. … It’s a lot of planning for my future. I’m just being patient and enjoying the moment, playing this game and finishing up the AAU season.”

Johnson’s list cut is almost certain to include at least three schools with Alabama, Kentucky and North Carolina seen as the top contenders. And then a few others continue to fight for his hooping services, the five-star guard also considering “maybe one or two more” visits before making a commitment. Those will be to “Arkansas, maybe Louisville, maybe Baylor — but I’m not sure yet. I don’t have anything planned.”

Let’s start with that trio of top contenders, a group that includes the hometown school, the school that has recruited him the longest and his dream school as a kid.

Johnson broke down all three programs:

Alabama: “Coach (Nate) Oats, they produce every year at the guard position. They give their guards a lot of freedom, take a lot of threes. And they play defense, as well. Coach Oats has been recruiting me since my eighth-grade summer, going into my freshman year. They were the first Power Five school to offer me, so we’ve been building a relationship for a long time now.”

Kentucky: “Coach (Mark) Pope is telling me he wants me to be the first recruit to start his recruiting class in 2025. He’s always pitching to me he wants to hang a banner, so coming in and making a big impact from day one. He’s telling me he wants me to come in and have a big role on their team. Hearing that is good.”

North Carolina: “Growing up watching basketball, there are lot of great players with great basketball everywhere. Just watching them growing up as a kid, I was always very interested in their program. To see that they’re recruiting me now, it’s a great opportunity and a blessing. (They’re saying) that they really want me to be the first commit and take that guard position.”

Now some of the top factors in his recruitment, what will help him make that final decision in the coming weeks.

Do schools with coaching continuity hold an advantage over those who saw recent changes, Mark Pope only having a few months to build a relationship with the Johnson family at Kentucky whereas Alabama and Hubert Davis have been pushing for years?

“I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage, I need to make the best decision for me,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to stay steady and really see the pros and cons of every situation. I’m being patient with my decision.”

What about the lack of postseason and NBA success for Pope at previous stops, the unknown factor in Lexington as this new era begins? He’s off to a hot start delivering his message and building a competitive roster in year one, but recruits haven’t seen it with their own eyes quite yet.

Johnson admits that’s come up a few times when considering his options. Not a game-changer, obviously, but something to think about.

“It’s always a question mark in my head to see how he’s going to do in his first season,” he said. “Just watching and being patient, like I said. Whenever my decision comes, I feel like it’ll just come to me. I’ll make my decision then.”

And how about NIL? Will that move the needle in this recruitment? It’s not a top priority — for him, at least. He’s got people around him to help with that, namely his parents and agent.

“I know it’s something that has to be done nowadays and it’s something you’ve got to look into, but it’s not really that important to me,” Johnson said. “I’m keeping the main goal the main goal and the main focus the main focus. I let everybody around me and my parents deal with that. You’ve just got to focus on what’s important and everything else will take care of itself.”

Any pressure internally to stay home and play for the Wildcats, specifically with his dad being a former star football player at Kentucky? Does mom want her baby boy to remain 10 minutes down the street compared to long drives or short flights away elsewhere?

“My mom wants me to stay home, but not really,” Johnson said. “She’s proud of me wherever I go, it doesn’t put any pressure on me to stay home. She wants me to see every opportunity and take advantage of them.”

What about the obsession with the hometown factor and his status as a Lexington kid compared to his status as a blue-chip five-star ranked among the best of the best in his class? Would he rather be recruited as a top-15 talent nationally or a hometown hero locally?

Fortunately for Big Blue Nation, Pope is hitting both angles as hard as he can.

“I feel like Coach Pope has been really pushing to me that I really am one of the best guards in the country, if not the best,” Johnson said. “Me being from there, it gives me a plus. He’s really pitching both sides — he wants me to stay home, but he’s also prioritizing me because I’m one of the best players in the country.”

How will he make his decision with so many factors to keep in mind?

“(Figuring out) what’s the best fit for me. I know there are opportunities everywhere, so I’m just taking my time, being patient,” Johnson said. ” I’m going to talk to my family about it and see what’s the right fit for me. … Fit, being patient, praying about it and making sure that when it’s time, I’m making the right choice for me.”

BBN certainly hopes that choice is Kentucky.