UK basketball recruit Jasper Johnson returns to Central Kentucky, produces star performance

To say that Jasper Johnson’s homecoming to Central Kentucky — and to Woodford County High School more specifically — was storybook would be selling it short.

That’s how special Sunday night was for Johnson, on and off the court.

Johnson — the former standout guard at Woodford County who transferred over the summer to Link Academy, a national prep basketball powerhouse based in Missouri — scored a game-high 37 points in front of a packed crowd inside his old gym, sparking Link to a dominant 90-52 win over Huntington Prep (West Virginia).

Sunday’s event, known as the Court XIV Classic, was held in the memory of Alvis Johnson, the legendary Harrodsburg High School football coach, educator and administrator who died last summer. (Jasper Johnson is a grandson of Alvis Johnson).

“It’s always great to come back home. Did it in honor of my grandfather,” Johnson said postgame. “I feel like I performed really good. We came out with the win. So it felt amazing.”

Aside from this important tribute, the event also promised a signature matchup between two top Kentucky men’s basketball guard recruits in the 2025 class.

Johnson would be going up against Darryn Peterson, Huntington Prep’s star player and a fellow five-star recruit. Both players hold UK scholarship offers: Peterson was actually the first class of 2025 prospect to earn an offer from the Wildcats and he’s included UK in a recently released list of his top eight post-high school playing options.

But from the moment the ball was tipped, Sunday’s showcase belonged to Johnson.

He made the game’s first shot: A 3-pointer that rattled in from the right wing, and he was off from there. In total, Johnson made 10 3-pointers in the blowout win, most of them coming from the right wing or right corner.

But that wasn’t the only way Johnson scored: In the first half, he completed an and-one by beating a Huntington Prep big off the dribble, knifing through the paint and finishing with a layup off the glass through contact.

In the second half, Johnson stole the ball and took it himself the rest of the way, cradling the ball in his left arm and throwing down a thunderous dunk that saw him slip out of his right shoe upon landing.

Johnson’s final made basket of the night came with another crowd pleasing moment: He messed around with his handle in the right corner before draining yet another shot from distance.

“This is where I started my high school career. (Woodford County) did a lot for me, the community. I wanted to come out and put on a show for them,” Johnson said.

“I know I’ve been traveling a lot, being away from home. (My family) haven’t really been able to see me in person,” Johnson later added. “Just coming back and playing in front of my family and friends was really what meant the most to me.”

Johnson has found a way to make his distinct mark on a Link team that also features the likes of guard Tre Johnson (Texas signee), guard Labaron Philon (Kansas signee), small forward Jalen Shelley (Arkansas signee) and center James Brown (North Carolina signee).

The packed house inside the Woodford County gymnasium spoke to not only the excitement that surrounded Johnson’s return to Central Kentucky, but to the prized college basketball recruit he’s become.

Johnson — rated as a five-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports — is part of a new generation of future college basketball stars emerging from the commonwealth.

Among the long list of college coaches and recruiters that were on hand for Sunday’s game (more on that below) was West Virginia interim head coach Josh Eilert.

Postgame, as Johnson prepared to speak to a gaggle of media members, Eilert made his way to Johnson and echoed a sentiment that just about everybody in the gym agreed with.

“An unbelievable performance,” Eilert told Johnson as he pulled him in for a hug.

Johnson has worked out inside Woodford County’s gym — known as “The Hive” — since he was in third grade. Where did Sunday night rank on his list memories from his time inside it?

“Definitely (the) top memory for sure,” he said with a smile.

College coaches, Kentucky basketball players on hand for game

Johnson’s scintillating 37-point performance came in front of a who’s who of top college basketball personalities.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari and assistant coach Chin Coleman were courtside for the game, along with North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis and assistant coach Sean May.

Missouri head coach Dennis Gates and assistant coach Kyle Smithpeters were also on hand. The Tigers play the Wildcats on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.

Louisville assistant coach Nolan Smith also watched the game: The Cardinals have a scholarship offer out to Johnson.

The aforementioned Eilert was also in the gym, along with two assistant coaches from West Virginia.

Kentucky had the added bonus of having several current Wildcats stop in to watch Johnson’s big game.

The likes of Justin Edwards, Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard, Adou Thiero and D.J. Wagner were among the UK players who took the game in. The Kentucky contingent watched Johnson play less than 30 hours after opening conference play with a comeback win on the road at Florida.

Johnson said that UK coaches and players reached out to him before Sunday’s game to let him know they were coming.

On the recruiting front, Johnson is expected to soon release a top-10 list of his post-high school playing options.

Also in the gym watching Sunday’s game were Eastern Kentucky senior forward Michael Moreno — that school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made — and his younger brother, Malachi, a standout junior center at Great Crossing High School.

Malachi holds scholarship offers from a plethora of major programs, including Kentucky.

Woodford County continues strong play without Jasper Johnson

Before Johnson and Link Academy took center stage with their big win over Peterson and Huntington Prep, the undercard game saw the host school emerge victorious.

Woodford County (12-2) — which reached the Sweet 16 semifinals last year with Johnson as the star attraction — took down Tates Creek (2-13) by a 73-57 score, the latest win for a Yellow Jackets team that hasn’t skipped a beat since Johnson’s departure.

Last year, Woodford County won its first 8th Region championship since 1986 as part of its stirring run to the final four of the state tournament. Now 12-2 this season, Woodford County led 32-20 at halftime Sunday afternoon before continuing to pull away for the win.

Johnson said postgame he still talks often with the current members of the Woodford County team.

“They’re producing. I think they’re top 10 in the state right now, so they picked up right where we left off last year,” Johnson said, noting that junior guard Santonio Waide has filled his void with the Yellow Jackets.

“I hope to see them in the state championship.”

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