Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno among recruits invited to USA Junior National Team Minicamp

I’ve got some excellent news and some deflating news for you, Big Blue Nation. What would you like to hear first? The good news? Perfect.

Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, Kentucky’s pair of top-25 commitments in the class of 2025 and fellow in-state products, have been invited to the prestigious USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team minicamp at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. A dozen more players are considered Kentucky targets beyond Johnson and Moreno. They will be among 83 total participants in the graduating classes of ’25, ’26, ’27 and ’28 in attendance, selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee.

There, the high school athletes will participate in on-court drills and scrimmages, educational programs focusing on eligibility and life skills development, among other activities.

Kentucky’s targets in Colorado Springs can be found below:

2025s
-Jasper Johnson (Commit)
-Malachi Moreno (Commit)
–Nate Ament
–Mikel Brown Jr.
–Brayden Burries
–Chris Cenac

2026s
–Tajh Ariza
–Davion Adkins
–Christian Collins
–Jason Crowe Jr.
–Caleb Holt
–Tay Kinney
–Brandon McCoy Jr.
–Jordan Smith Jr.

2027s
–Baba Oladotun

Minicamp is scheduled from October 11-13, which brings us to our bad news: Big Blue Madness is scheduled that weekend in Lexington. If all of those players are competing at USA Junior Minicamp, it means they will not be in attendance for Kentucky’s biggest annual recruiting event of the year and the unofficial start of basketball season on Friday, Oct. 11.

Moreno, Ariza and Kinney were among those previously scheduled to attend Big Blue Madness before the USA Basketball conflict. That leaves 2026 recruits Anthony Thompson and Jayden Johnson as the only publicly announced visitors for BBM — a list likely to grow, albeit limited, leading up to the event.

Who all will be in attendance at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center? Check out the complete 83-man list below.

2025

Darius Acuff Jr., Dante Allen, Nate Ament, Kiyan Anthony, Mikel Brown Jr., Brayden Burries, Chris Cenac Jr., Hudson Greer, Jalen Haralson, Isiah Harwell, Shelton Henderson, Jasper Johnson, Nikolas Khamenia, Nykolas Lewis, Trey McKenney, Kayden Mingo, Malachi Moreno, Mazi Mosley, Koa Peat, Xavion Staton, Jaden Toombs and Sadiq White

2026

Davion Adkins, Kayden Allen, Alijah Arenas, Tajh Ariza, Toni Bryant, Christian Collins, Jason Crowe Jr., Caleb Gaskins, Cameron Holmes, Caleb Holt, Taylen Kinney, Brandon McCoy Jr., Dylan Mingo, Jalen Montonati, Adam Oumiddoch, Deron Rippey Jr., Jordan Smith Jr. and Elijah Williams

2027

Nasir Anderson, Beckham Black, Malachi Booker, Devin Cleveland, Mason Collins, Derek Daniels, Cayden Daughtry, Jarvis Hayes Jr., Tyrone Jamison, Jeremy Jenkins Jr., Malachi Jordan, Joshua Leonard, Jaylan Mitchell, Babatunde Oladotun, Jordan Page, Henry Robinson Jr., CJ Rosser, Taj Saragba, Marcus Spears, Griffin Starks, Eden Vinyard and Darius Wabbington

2028

Ian Archbold, Josh Augmon, Dylan Betts, Logan Chwaystk, Brielen Craft, Erick Dampier Jr., Adan Diggs, Myles Hayes, Terrell Jackson, Cole Kelly, Bentley Lusakueno, Parker McDaniel, Kameron Mercer, Jaalen Boss Mhoon, Jordan Mize, Will Nelson Jr., Brady Pettigrew, Miles Simpson, Kevin Wheatley Jr., AJ Williams and Quinton Wilson.  

Jasper Johnson joins the likes of Acuff Jr., Ament, Brown Jr., Henderson, Khamenia and McKenney as members of the 2024 USA Men’s U18 National Team that won gold at the FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup in Buenos Aires. Cenac Jr., Haralson, Holmes, McCoy Jr., Peat, Smith Jr. and Toombs were also on the 2024 FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup gold medal winning USA Men’s U17 National Team while Harwell, Holt, Montonati, McCoy Jr., and Peat helped the 2023 USA Men’s U16 National Team win gold at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup in Merida, Mexico. 

A significant scheduling overlap that undoubtedly hurts Kentucky, but certainly a hurdle Pope and his staff will be able to clear.