John Calipari watches Kentucky target Jasper Johnson drain 10 3s against Darryn Peterson

John Calipari had the best seat in the house on Sunday night to watch Jasper Johnson drop 37 points with 10 made three-pointers en route to being named the game’s MVP.

The Kentucky head coach — joined by assistant Chin Coleman — was front and center to watch Johnson, a top target for the Kentucky Wildcats, shine in his return home. Now suiting up for prep school Link Academy (MO), Johnson was back at Woodford County High School, his former team, in Versailles, KY for a special reason.

Johnson’s grandfather, Alvis Johnson, passed away over the summer at the age of 76. Alvis was a prominent figure in the Bluegrass for his accomplishments as a high school football and track coach. For the first time since transferring to Link Academy, Jasper came back to play at his old stomping grounds in order to honor his grandfather. A moment of silence was held at halftime to recognize Alvis.

“I know my grandfather, he was a great person,” Jasper said. “He touched a lot of people’s lives. So just having that moment of silence and everybody coming here to respect his name, it meant a lot to me.”

Link Academy traveled all the way from Missouri for this event, hosted by Court XIV, to honor Alvis Johnson. Going up against another well-known prep school, Huntington Prep (WV), headlined by five-star shooting guard Darryn Peterson (also a major Kentucky target), the matchup drew in more than just Calipari. Coaches from the likes of North Carolina, Missouri, and West Virginia coated the sidelines from opening tip to the final buzzer. The small arena was packed with fans.

Although the game itself wasn’t all that competitive — Link, which features several four- and five-star prospects, won 90-52 — Johnson made sure to enjoy every second of the night. He opened the game by knocking down five three-pointers in the first quarter. His hot shooting would continue throughout the rest of the night, with every additional three-pointer eliciting laughs from Calipari and Coleman.

37 points tonight for Kentucky target Jasper Johnson in front of John Calipari.

Named MVP of the event with his friends and family in attendance. Good night for the five-star guard. pic.twitter.com/2G9YIcpPeT

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) January 8, 2024

Johnson is familiar with the Woodford County High School gym, considering he’s been shooting in it since he was in third grade, but no moment from the past is going to top this one. Friends and family lined up and down the court to watch Johnson as his star status continues to grow.

“Top memory for sure,” Johnson said with a big grin. “This is where I started my high school career. They did a lot for me, the community, I wanted to come out and put on a show for ’em.”

Johnson is currently considered the No. 12 overall high school junior in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He holds scholarship offers from plenty of big-name programs. In addition to Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina are recruiting the 6-foot-4 guard, as well. Alabama, Southern California, Missouri, and Arkansas are also in the mix.

But the allure of playing for Kentucky certainly stands out to the Lexington native. Calipari even let Johnson know ahead of time that he’d be attending Sunday night’s game. As did a handful of current players. DJ Wagner, Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves, Justin Edwards, and Adou Thiero were just some of the Wildcats who made the drive to Woodford County to see Johnson light it up from the sidelines.

“It’s always great to come back home,” Johnson added. “Did it in honor of my grandfather. I feel like I performed really good and we came out with the win, so it felt amazing.”