Kentucky Reacts to Jasper Johnson Announcement on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 5:03 PM ET

The Mark Pope-coached Kentucky Wildcats celebrated one of their incoming freshman’s latest achievements.

Four-star guard Jasper Johnson was selected to play for the U19 USA men’s basketball team, which will compete in the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup from June 28 to July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“Congratulations, @BruhJasperJ on being selected for the @usabasketball U19 National Team,” Kentucky posted on its X account Friday.

Johnson will join a 12-man final roster selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee, according to On3 writer Chris Fisher. The Versailles, Kentucky, native out of the Overtime Elite program will join a roster composed of fellow finalists Caleb Holt, Brandon McCoy Jr., Jordan Smith and Tyran Stokes.

Kentucky freshman center Malachi Moreno also took part in the camp alongside Pope, who served as an assistant coach during the national team’s camp.

Congratulations, @BruhJasperJ, on being selected for the @usabasketball U19 National Team!

The team is slated to compete at the 2025 @FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, which will run June 28 – July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

https://t.co/83v71OZ2YH pic.twitter.com/IubigTx5dg
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 20, 2025

The U19 team is led by Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd and Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland, who will work as his assistant coach alongside Notre Dame’s Micah Shrewsberry.

Johnson’s scoring ability impressed scouts throughout camp in Colorado Springs.

“He put on a show on Monday morning, not just with his shooting, but with his total scoring,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote. “There were tough angled finishes at the rim and high-arching pull-ups alike.”

Johnson’s scoring being praised is not surprising, as he shot 41% from three as a junior with Link Academy, according to his 247Sports player profile. He is also considered a very talented mid-range shooter who can score very well by using a vast array of floaters and layups.

At 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, he should pair up well alongside fellow guards Holt and Smith once the World Cup begins next weekend.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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