Two top Kentucky men’s basketball recruits go head-to-head Sunday in Central Kentucky

While Kentucky men’s basketball’s 2024 recruiting class continues to take form, the Wildcats already have their eyes focused on the top prospects in the 2025 group.

And two of the biggest UK targets in the class of 2025 will be playing in Central Kentucky this weekend.

A high school basketball showcase event known as the Court XIV Classic will take place Sunday at Woodford County High School in Versailles, and is set to feature a doubleheader headlined by a 6 p.m. matchup between national powers Link Academy (Missouri) and Huntington Prep (West Virginia).

The first game of the showcase is at 3:30 p.m. between Tates Creek and Woodford County.

The event is billed as being in the memory of Alvis Johnson, the legendary Harrodsburg High School football coach, educator and administrator who died last summer.

The main attraction on the Link Academy roster will be combo guard Jasper Johnson, a former star player at Woodford County who led the Yellow Jackets to the Sweet 16 semifinals last year. Johnson transferred to Link last offseason. (Johnson is a grandson of Alvis Johnson).

Opposite Johnson on the Huntington Prep squad is Darryn Peterson, ranked as the No. 3 player in the 2025 recruiting class by the 247Sports Composite.

Both players hold scholarship offers from and are being actively recruited by UK head coach John Calipari and his staff.

Ahead of Sunday’s event, here’s what you need to know about Johnson and Peterson, and where their recruitments stand.

Jasper Johnson

Johnson — a son of Dennis Johnson, the former Harrodsburg, UK and NFL football player who currently serves as the head football coach and athletics director at Woodford County — blossomed into a Kentucky high school basketball star last year when he still played at Woodford County.

But now at Link Academy, Johnson finds himself surrounded by top talent on the court. Johnson’s teammates at Link this season include guard Tre Johnson (Texas signee), guard Labaron Philon (Kansas signee), small forward Jalen Shelley (Arkansas signee) and center James Brown (North Carolina signee).

In October, Johnson told the Herald-Leader that facing this level of competition each day in practice has helped his development.

“That was one of the big pushes for me to go to Link,” Johnson said.

The left-handed, 6-foot-4 Johnson — who earned a scholarship offer from the Wildcats in May 2023 — has impressed on several stages with his new team this season.

This includes games that Link Academy played in the Marshall County Hoopfest in Western Kentucky and in the Derek Smith Invitational in Louisville.

While in the Derby City, Johnson totaled 10 points (included three made 3-pointers) in a close loss to a star-studded Prolific Prep (California) team. That game was watched by UK assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman.

Johnson recently said on the Sources Say podcast that Antigua and Calipari are in communication with him, almost daily.

Johnson also said on the podcast that he is targeting the end of summer to make his college choice.

“Probably the trust. ... Me and the head coach have to be on the same page and have the same vision,” Johnson said of what will separate the winning school in his recruitment. “Somewhere where I know I can grow and develop, for sure. Whether that’s me being ball dominant, off the ball, playing around other good players.”

Johnson turned heads in December when playing in the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Florida with Link. While there, Johnson said he would soon release a top-10 list of post-high school playing options.

Long rumored to be a reclassification candidate to join the 2024 recruiting class, Johnson has indicated he intends to stay in the 2025 group.

Johnson is ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite.

Darryn Peterson

Peterson occupies a distinct space in UK men’s basketball recruiting as the first class of 2025 prospect to earn a scholarship offer from the Wildcats. That offer came his way in August 2022.

Formerly a standout player in his native Ohio at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Peterson transferred last offseason to Huntington Prep in West Virginia.

The nationally known prep powerhouse has helped produce past college stars Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Thomas Bryant (Indiana) and ex-Cat Keldon Johnson, among others.

Peterson has also been in the news of late for a historic off-court moment: He recently became the first high school athlete to sign a Name, Image and Likeness deal with Adidas. He also signed a multi-year deal with Fanatics Trading Cards, which made him the youngest athlete to have a deal with a trading card company.

A 6-foot-6, 195-pound shooting guard, Peterson is a consensus five-star recruit who recently released a list of his top eight post-high school playing options.

The full list included: Arkansas, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio State. Peterson is also still open to a professional pathway.

Peterson told On3 he plans to take five official visits before making his decision. Peterson said those visits will be to Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio State.

UK is one of several schools that have already hosted Peterson for an unofficial visit.

Like Johnson, Peterson has already played in Kentucky this season. In December, Huntington Prep lost to Newport (Kentucky) High School in the Griffin Elite Classic in Erlanger.

Peterson had 22 points in that game.

Court XIV Classic

What: High school basketball showcase

Where: Woodford County High School (Versailles)

When: Sunday

Games: Tates Creek vs. Woodford County (3:30 p.m.), followed by Link Academy vs. Huntington Prep (6 p.m.)

Tickets: Visit courtxiv.net