One of the most interesting and stressful recruiting battles Kentucky fans have seen in a long time is that of five-star guard Jasper Johnson. Johnson is a must-have for Kentucky because he grew up near Lexington and his father played football at Kentucky. Coach Mark Pope can’t let the elite talent here slip away from Kentucky.
This recruitment was also interesting because there just hasn’t been a lot of public information about what goes on in the recruiting process. Usually, it’s pretty clear where a player will commit when he’s close to making a decision, but with Johnson, it’s still a mystery.
It sounds like Alabama has a significant lead, but according to KSR’s Matt Jones, Kentucky is making a comeback thanks to the NIL front. It sounds like the offers between Alabama and Kentucky are similar enough now that Johnson’s decision will be based purely on what makes the most sense for him.
Systemically, Alabama and Kentucky are a good fit because both teams shoot a lot of threes and Johnson is an elite shooter. It’s neck and neck, so hopefully Coach Pope can convince Johnson to stay home and play basketball at the same school where his dad played football.
Johnson is close to making a decision and many believe he will choose a college in late August. This will either be a huge win or a painful loss for the Wildcats in recruiting, but Coach Pope and his staff are in this race.
