A 2026 in-state four-star guard is planning a visit to HOOSIER’ READ MORE…
Over the last few recruiting cycles, a ton of talent has come out of the Bluegrass State. Reed Sheppard in 2023, Travis Perry and Trent Noah in the 2024 cycle, Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno in the 2025 class, and now Jayden Johnson in the 2026 class.
The key for Coach Pope is to make sure to keep these in-state players in Kentucky to play their college basketball. He is currently fighting that battle for Johnson and Moreno and will be fighting that battle with Johnson as well.
Johnson is ranked as the 49th best player in the 2026 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. The 6’5 shooting guard recently took an unofficial visit to Lexington, but he is planning some official visits in the near future. On top of Kentucky, he plans to visit Louisville, USC, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech.
He is a player that will shoot up the rankings over the next few months and could see himself in the thirties when this recruiting class is said and done. Coach Pope likes the way Johnson plays on tape, and he would be a good fit in Lexington.
It will likely be a battle for Johnson between Louisville and Kentucky, but he feels like a player who wants to stay in the state for his college hoops.
This is a name for Kentucky fans to remember as Coach Pope starts to find the talent in the 2026 class that he wants to recruit. Once Johnson gets official visits set, this recruitment will clear up.
Indiana basketball will host Hoosier Hysteria on Oct. 18 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, IU Athletics announced Friday in a press release. Hoosier Hysteria, an annual preseason introduction of both the men’s and women’s teams, coincides with Homecoming weekend.
This year’s iteration of the event will be scrimmage-based, differing from those of past seasons, when players went through various skills competitions and a 3-point contest.
Indiana women’s basketball is scheduled to kick off Hoosier Hysteria, as player introductions will be followed by a speech from head coach Teri Moren. The Hoosiers’ women’s squad will then hold a two-quarter intrasquad scrimmage.
“Our program always looks forward to Hoosier Hysteria and are eager for our fans to get a sneak peek at the 2024-25 team,” Moren said in the release. “It will be a great opportunity for our student-athletes to scrimmage in front of Hoosier Nation. We can’t wait to be in the atmosphere of the best fan base in college athletics on Oct. 18.”
After the IU women’s team finishes its scrimmage, the men’s team will follow the same sequence of events — introductions, a speech from head coach Mike Woodson and two quarters of an intrasquad scrimmage.
“We are excited to roll out this new format of Hoosier Hysteria,” Woodson said in the release. “Getting our team in front of Hoosier Nation has always been a priority for this ballclub. The scrimmage will be the first chance for our fans to get a look at our new players and most importantly will give our guys a taste of playing competitive basketball in front of the most passionate fans in the game.”
