What Jasper Johnson's commitment means for Kentucky

And then there were two, Jasper Johnson joining Malachi Moreno to give Mark Pope a pair of in-state standouts to open his 2025 recruiting class. The former announced his commitment to Kentucky on Thursday, choosing the Wildcats over Alabama, Arkansas, Louisville and North Carolina.

Johnson is rated as the No. 11 overall prospect and No. 4 shooting guard in the senior class, holding firm as a five-star recruit — Pope’s first in Lexington. What does his addition mean for the program as recruiting momentum continues to pile up going into the early signing period?

An electric shot-maker joins the fold

Remember how much fun Rob Dillingham was in Lexington? He was must-see TV every time he took the floor, as exciting a player Kentucky has seen in recent memory. Now, I’m not saying that’s what Jasper Johnson is quite yet — becoming a top-10 draft pick is easier said than done — but there are some loose similarities in terms of entertainment value.

Let me give you the bad first. Standing 6-4, 170 pounds, he’s lean and struggles a bit with physicality. He can get tunnel vision at times while the shot selection is dangerous, certainly when considering his love-hate relationship with efficiency. In no way, shape or form is he a polished product ready to take the keys and drive the Ferrari.

When it comes to shot-making, though, no one is more electric in the high school ranks than Johnson. He’s got NBA tools and range as a living, breathing game of H-O-R-S-E with jaw-dropping prayers that come away answered often enough to recognize it all as a regular part of his game. He can create for himself or knock down catch-and-shoot looks while also finding great comfort in the first and second levels of the floor. For a system that prioritizes shot volume and finding open looks, you’re adding a trigger-happy guard in Johnson capable of getting fire-hot in a hurry — a perfect fit for Pope.

The knocks on his game are fixable with coaching and structure. What he’s got, you can’t teach.

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In-state momentum continues

You know the drill at this point. One by one, Pope has loaded up on the top talent this state has to offer. He started by adding Eddyville’s Travis Perry and Harlan’s Trent Noah — the Nos. 1 and 5 all-time scorers in KHSAA history — to his debut roster in Lexington, followed by earning a pledge from Georgetown’s Malachi Moreno to open his 2025 recruiting class. Up next? Lexington’s own Jasper Johnson, yet another big-time local win for Pope to back up some of the first comments he ever made as head coach.

“Before Richie (Farmer) and after Travis (Perry) and everybody in-between that is an in-state Kentucky kid, these young men that grow up in Kentucky, they bring a spirit to the team that cannot be fabricated or replaced,” he said at his introductory press conference. “And it helps us to win, and we will continue to recruit them.”

Perry and Noah were two of the most productive players to ever come out of the state while Johnson and Moreno are two of the highest-ranked recruits Kentucky has ever produced. Barring Reed Sheppard explosions for either of the incoming freshmen, all four will be suiting up for the Wildcats together in 2025-26.

That’s music to fans’ ears.

Following in Reed Sheppard’s footsteps

Speaking of Sheppard, the No. 3 draft pick who just signed a $45.8 million rookie deal offered words of wisdom to both Johnson and Moreno ahead of their decisions in early August. He was once in their shoes, being pulled in different directions while weighing intriguing opportunities as an in-state kid just trying to figure out what was best for his future.

The London native picked Kentucky and the rest was history. His advice? Follow in his footsteps and let that dream become a reality. Don’t overthink it.

“I mean at the end of the day, it’s Kentucky. For me, it was an easy choice. It was my dream school growing up and for them, I hope it’s the same so they have an easy choice to make, as well,” Sheppard told KSR. “At the end of the day, it’s Kentucky. You’re playing on national television every game, you’re gonna be playing against the best players in the world, great facilities. It’s just — it’s a great place to play basketball and a great place to live.”

Fast forward a couple of weeks and the pair of top-25 recruits has taken Sheppard’s advice to heart — both Wildcats with aspirations of making the state proud, just as he did.

What’s next for Kentucky?

You’ve got Johnson anchoring the backcourt, Moreno doing the same in the frontcourt. Kentucky hopes to add four to five total freshmen going into the 2025-26 season, meaning you’re either halfway there or just short of it. Adding two top-25 pieces at such key positions now allows Pope and his staff to get both creative and selective in how they go about wrapping things up.

Braylon Mullins and Tounde Yessoufou are the immediate wing targets with quicker decision timelines. Niko Bundalo is also a versatile forward option while Caleb Wilson, Nate Ament and Chris Cenac would be slam dunks in the spring. What do you do with Acaden Lewis and Mikel Brown Jr. as other top backcourt targets? They’re better playmakers while Mullins is the best pure shooter in the class and Yessoufou is a two-through-four threat with a freak motor. Who do you want next to Johnson? And how does the portal factor into that decision, knowing you can also add a veteran point guard after the season?

Pope’s got some flexibility now thanks to his latest addition, a versatile building block that allows you to choose your own adventure in 2025. If Mullins and Yessoufou are ready to commit in November, you take them both and see what happens with those prized forwards down the road. Maybe Lewis or Brown want to share lead guard duties with Johnson like Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa this season? A number of different outcomes could work for Kentucky moving forward, and that’s a nice spot to be in two months ahead of the early signing period.