UK targets Jasper Johnson, Darryn Peterson will go head-to-head on Sunday in Woodford County

Two of John Calipari’s top class of 2025 backcourt targets will go head-to-head in Versailles, KY this weekend.

On Sunday, Jan. 7 at Woodford County High School, Jasper Johnson and Link Academy (MO) will take on Darryn Peterson and Huntington Prep (WV) at 6:00 p.m. EST. It will be the second of two games held that day, the first being a local matchup between Tates Creek and No. 13 Woodford County (Johnson’s former high school) at 3:30 p.m. EST.

Johnson and Peterson are considered top 15 high school juniors in the entire country.

This two-game event, hosted by Court XIV, will honor the late Alvis Johnson, the grandfather of Jasper who passed away in July 2023 at the age of 76. Alvis was a legendary figure — on and off the field — around the Bluegrass and was inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2004.

“My grandfather, he played a big role in my life, so I always wanted to try to see if I could go away but then also see if I could have an opportunity to come and play at home so my family could see me play,” Johnson said on Sources Say earlier this week. “I’ve been traveling a whole lot around the world and stuff. Having my friends and family where I come from being able to see my play was a big thing of mine that I wanted. Might as well pay some tribute to my grandfather my doing it.”

Our friends over at PrepSpin will broadcast this game LIVE for a one-time fee of $14.95. Follow the link here to find out more.

Jasper Johnson & Darryn Peterson: Need to Know

Jasper Johnson, who originally played his high school ball at Woodford County before transferring to prep school out of state in the offseason, is bringing his nationally-ranked Link Academy squad to central Kentucky for this high-profile matchup. Link is currently ranked No. 4 in the country by ESPN, holds a 15-4 record, and has played in major events across the country throughout the fall.

Johnson is just one of many Power 5 prospects roaming the Link Academy rotation. The likes of Tre Johnson (’24 5-star), Labaron Philon (’24 4-star), Jalen Shelley (’24 4-star), James Brown (’24 4-star), TJ Stuttley (’25 4-star), and others make up the talented and deep roster. But Kentucky is prioritizing Jasper from that group, and members of the UK coaching staff will likely be in attendance for Sunday’s game.

Currently holding upwards of two dozen Divison I scholarships, Johnson — No. 12 in the class of 2025 rankings — is hearing from all of the big-name schools. Kansas and North Carolina are notably involved. But Kentucky has an inside edge as the hometown school (his father, Dennis Johnson, played football at Kentucky and is currently the Woodford County High School athletic director). The Wildcats offered Johnson in May and have gotten him on campus for multiple visits. John Calipari and assistant coach Orlando Antigua are in constant communication with the 6-foot-4 point guard.

During KSR’s Sources Say podcast on Tuesday, Johnson came on the show to talk about this event and his recruitment. Kentucky was one of the schools he mentioned the most, along with the likes of Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Southern California, Missouri, and Arkansas. Once he announces his list of top schools, a decision is expected to come by the end of this summer after he takes all of his official visits.

As for Darryn Peterson, he’s arguably Kentucky’s top recruiting target from the 2025 class. He was the first-ever high school sophomore to receive an offer from Calipari. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is now considered the No. 3 overall junior in the country. UK, Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio State, and UNC are all likely to receive official visits in the coming months.

Peterson’s Huntington Prep isn’t nearly as loaded with top-end talent as Link is, but this is still going to be a must-watch game for those in the area. It’s not often that two of the best high school basketball players in the country converge in Horse Country. You can purchase tickets here or live stream the game through PrepSpin.

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Tates Creek vs. No. 13 Woodford County

Let’s not forget about the tuneup game for Sunday’s headliner though. The Tates Creek Commodores (2-12) will take on the Woodford County Yellow Jackets (9-2) for a 3:30 p.m. EST tipoff.

Woodford County, even without Jasper Johnson, is still one of the best teams in the state of Kentucky so far this season. WoFo is currently slotted at No. 13 in KSR’s statewide rankings with the program’s two losses coming against No. 15 Frederick Douglass (56-55) and No. 3 Lexington Catholic (70-44). The Yellow Jackets have picked up multiple quality wins over the likes of Danville Christian (46-41), North Laurel (52-51), and Cooper (60-58).

And oh yeah, Woodford County head coach Jaron Brown is doing this without one of his best players, Makhi Smith, a junior guard who doubles as a star football player with offers from Kentucky and Louisville. Smith has missed every game this season due to a knee injury.

Without Smith, Woodford County has leaned on the likes of junior Santonio Wade (17.4 PPG) and senior Layton Starks (11 PPG, 5.4 RPG). The 6-foot-5 Starks, who is committed to play football at Ball State, shoots just a hair under 69 percent from the field. The Yellow Jackets have another pair of double-digit scorers in the mix as well with junior Jaunte Jenkins (10.4 PPG) and freshman Omari Jointer (10.1 PPG). As a team, Woodford ranks top 25 in the state in overall shooting (51.1 percent) and three-point shooting (38.7 percent).

As for Tates Creek, the 2023-24 season has not been kind to Jarrod Gay’s squad. The Commodores won its first game of the season with a 61-59 overtime win over Danville, then dropped 12 straight before winning its most recent outing, a 71-58 victory over Lafayette. Junior Dawson Garth leads Tates Creek in scoring at 14.2 points per game while sophomore Stephen Franklin is the only other double-digit scorer at 12.4 points per game.