Jasper Johnson takes surprise visit to Kentucky as decision nears….
The Kentucky Wildcats weren’t expected to be quite as 5-star heavy without John Calipari leading the recruiting trips. However, they are in the mix for 5-star guard Jasper Johnson.
One of the best in his class, Johnson took a surprise unofficial visit to Kentucky on Thursday, according to KSR.
This comes as Johnson plans to make his commitment soon, likely by the end of August. That’s why getting him back for a visit to Kentucky is an important development for Mark Pope and Co. as they look to score their first signature recruiting win in the high school ranks.
The Overtime Elite guard is the second-best shooting guard in the nation and the 10th-best recruit in the class of 2025, according to 247 Sports Composite. He’s also a Lexington native and the son of Kentucky Football great Dennis Johnson, which should bode well for Kentucky in its pursuit.
With Mark Pope ushering in a new era in the BBN, let’s hope they can snag Johnson while battling the likes of Alabama and North Carolina, who remain the top threats to Kentucky in this recruitment.
- Kentucky Wildcats
One of the strongest brands in college basketball is the Kentucky basketball program. Kentucky is one of the best programs of all time. It has been an elite brand for a long time, and that isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
The reason this conversation has come up of late has to do with former Kentucky coach John Calipari. Coach Calipari recently landed a five-star guard at Arkansas. The reaction to Coach Cal landing this recruit was people saying that Coach Calipari landed all of the talent at Kentucky because of himself, and the Kentucky brand had nothing to do with it.
At the end of the day, that just isn’t true. Coach Calipari is due his flowers as he is the best recruiter in college basketball history, but the Kentucky basketball program and brand are going to be just fine with him moving on.
With Coach Pope as Kentucky’s head basketball coach, the Wildcats will still be seen on prime-time TV for almost every game they are in, and they will also be playing in big-time games like the State Farm Champions Classic.
This was the conversation on the most recent version of the Wildcats Today Podcast. Hosts Andrew Stefaniak and Carson Nash explained why Kentucky’s brand is so strong and why this will not change anytime soon. The two believe that Coach Pope will still be able to land elite talent via high school, thanks to the brand’s strength in Lexington.
Check out the most recent version of the Wildcats Today Podcast down below!
