Mo Dioubate says a freshman has impressed him the most early into summer practices

The 2025-26 Kentucky men’s basketball team hasn’t even been together for three full weeks yet. And even then, one of them had to cut out early for a USA Basketball commitment, while another is still in the process of making his way to the United States. The second week of official, NCAA-regulated practices only began on Monday.

There is still a long way to go before the season-opener in the fall…

And yet, one incoming freshman has caught the eye of a Southeastern Conference veteran. He also just happens to be the one currently visiting Switzerland in Team USA’s quest for another gold medal at the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup. Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate, who helped the Crimson Tide reach a Final Four in 2024 and an Elite Eight in 2025, has been drawn to the play of four-star guard Jasper Johnson.

“I’m gonna say from the first week, Jasper,” Dioubate said Monday when asked who has stood out to him the most. “He was pretty impressive in practice. I see his highlights and stuff on Instagram and stuff. But when I got to see him play, he actually impressed me a lot.”

Johnson — and fellow incoming freshman Malachi Moreno — were only on campus for about a week (which was more centered around workouts rather than actual practice) before heading out to Colorado Springs for Team USA training camp. Moreno ultimately missed the cut, but Johnson was included in the final 12-man roster. He’ll represent his country overseas from June 28 to July 6.

There are high expectations for Johnson, a Lexington native who committed to Mark Pope and Kentucky over North Carolina and Alabama. During the offseason, Pope even went so far as to say that Johnson needs to be great for the Wildcats and that he has “superstar” potential. Considered the 25th-best prospect from the 2025 class by the On3 Industry Ranking, he’s at least outplayed that ranking on big stages over the last several weeks.

“He’s gotten better — and I don’t mean just a little bit,” Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland, who coached Johnson at Team USA training camp earlier this month, told KSR. “I think Jasper — he’s always been a shot-maker and an elite scorer, but I think his composure level offensively has really grown. I’ve been really impressed with him.”

Dioubate isn’t alone in his thinking on Johnson.

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