New Kentucky coach Mark Pope scored a major recruiting victory on Thursday when five-star guard Jasper Johnson announced his commitment to the Wildcats, who beat out North Carolina and Alabama to commit.

Arkansas and Louisville were also in Johnson’s final five, but in recent months it’s been a three-way battle between Kentucky, North Carolina and Alabama. Alabama was the favorite after July, but Pope and the Wildcats have stepped up in recent weeks and become Johnson’s target.

Although Johnson attended Link Academy (Missouri) last season and signed with Overtime Elite in July, he is originally from Lexington and is heading home for college.

“Being from Lexington and playing for my hometown school, my city and my state mean something to me,” he told ESPN. “Rupp Arena is a magical place.”

Pope and his assistants made their final offer earlier this week.

“I became friends with the staff. They were very consistent with the recruiting process. They took the time to get to know me,” Johnson said. “The entire staff came to my apartment at midnight, the first night the coaches were allowed out. That was cool.”

Johnson is a 6-foot-4 guard ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 100. He averaged 14.8 points per game for the Team Thad program in the Nike EYBL Circuit in the spring before scoring 19.8 points in five games at the Nike Peach Jam in July. Johnson also helped the USA Basketball U18 team to the gold medal at the FIBA ​​AmeriCup in June, averaging 10.0 points per game and hitting 42.3% of his three-point shots.

Johnson is one of the best pure scorers in the country, combining shooting skills, quick drives to the basket and creative finishing. His wingspan is just under 6’1″ and he has shown the ability to defend the ball. His strength is clearing the court with his 3-point shot. Johnson forces defenders to finish with the drive mindset, and once he’s in the zone, he’s a reliable floater and makes his layups. His passing accuracy and natural instincts allow him to play both guard positions.

Pope has now signed two key in-state recruits to start his class of 2025. Johnson follows top-50 center Malachi Moreno, who committed in August. Johnson is the second-highest-ranked prospect in the class of 2025 to commit at this time. Top-10 guard Darius Acuff (Arkansas) is the only prospect ranked higher.

Other targets on Pope’s 2025 list include Nate Ament (No. 4 in the ESPN 100), Caleb Wilson (No. 5), Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 7), Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 12), Tounde Yessoufou (No. 18) and Braylon Mullins (No. 24).