Future Kentucky Wildcats to Compete in Nike Hoop Summit

by:Nick Roush•about 24 hours•

RoushKSR

Jasper Johnson (left) and Malachi Moreno in Kentucky uniform - UK Athletics

If it’s an All-Star Game, a future Kentucky Wildcat is probably playing in it. On Saturday night, Nike hosts the company’s top prep showcase of the year and a pair of Cats will be suiting up on the hardwood.

Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno are a pair of Kentucky natives who represent Mark Pope’s first full recruiting class. They’ll be representing Team USA in tonight’s Nike Hoop Summit, an event that has produced 41 future NBA All-Stars, nine of which spent time wearing a Kentucky uniform.

If you recall, Mark Pope made up some ground in Kentucky’s recruitment of Jasper Johnson when he was suiting up for Team USA. The new Kentucky head coach got reacquainted with a stick shift while driving around Buenos Aires to watch Jasper ball out. The Woodford County native averaged 10.0 points and 2.7 assists in 15.9 minutes per game. He shot a team-best 42.3% (11-26 3FG) from 3-point range to help propel Team USA to a gold medal.

Tonight’s contest pits international players vs. a dozen Americans in Portland’s Moda Center. These two future Cats from the Commonwealth are teaming up with the Boozers, Nate Ament, and Mikel Brown, a future Louisville Cardinal. The Nike Hoop Summit tips off at 10 PM EST on USA Network. This is the main event after a lengthy stay on the West Coast for Johnson and Moreno.

Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

Highlights from Nike Hoop Summit Practices

Most scouts and recruiting insiders will tell you that the practices and scrimmages matter more than the actual all-stars games. That’s why it was significant when Moreno wowed scouts as a top performer in the McDonald’s All-American Game scrimmage. This time, it was Johnson who popped in the pre-all-star game scrimmage.

The Portland Generals were Team USA’s opponent. The group has plenty of future college basketball players who are attending programs like UTSA or Arkansas, you know, the mid-majors of the world. Nate Ament led Team USA in scoring with 14 points. Johnson was right behind him with 13 points. Kentucky Sports Radio scoured the internet for a few highlights from the Nike Hoop Summit scrimmage.

.@KentuckyMBB bound Jasper Johnson has a smooth game 😮‍💨

The 6’4” lefty can get to the rim whenever he wants @nikehoopsummit pic.twitter.com/mVOZShadDF
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) April 11, 2025