Kentucky lands first five-star team in Mark Pope era

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WAVE) – New University of Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope added another top recruit Thursday afternoon.

Jasper Johnson, a five-star point guard from Lexington who is ranked No. 12 in the country in the 2025 class, chose Kentucky over North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisville.

Johnson played at Woodford County throughout his sophomore season and has been with Overtime Elite since then. He is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard with incredible reach and athleticism. He ranks second in the nation among shooting guards.

This is a huge boost for Pope and the Cats, as Johnson is their first five-star recruit, alongside the recent commitment of four-star center Malachi Moreno.

Kentucky is currently one of three programs to have the five-star recruit, the others being Syracuse and the Arkansas Razorbacks led by former UK coach John Calipari.

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