LEXINGTON — Mark Pope is off to a scintillating start in his first full recruiting cycle as the Kentucky basketball coach.
After five-star combo guard (and UK legacy) Jasper Johnson committed Sept. 5 and joined Malachi Moreno, the Wildcats became the first school in the country to have a pair of consensus top-40 prospects in their 2025 class. And that’s the case regardless of the recruiting service one uses, be it Rivals or 247Sports, On3 or ESPN.
UK’s class is No. 2 nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings and tops among SEC schools.
That Kentucky is so close to the pinnacle of the team rankings is nothing new: Former coach John Calipari made that a habit during his 15-year stint in Lexington.
Now at Arkansas, Calipari’s time at UK saw him sign the nation’s top-ranked class in the 247Sports Composite rankings eight times: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020 and 2023.
Under Calipari, the Wildcats finished among the top-two classes every year but one: In 2022, they were No. 5.
After Pope took over in April, UK’s 2024 class finished No. 45 nationally, a two-member haul featuring a pair of in-state superstars: Travis Perry (of Lyon County) and Trent Noah (of Harlan County).
Even if the Wildcats fail to land another commitment in 2025, it appears this year’s class will finish far higher in the rankings than 2024.
Moreno, who stars for Great Crossing High in Georgetown, got the ball rolling Aug. 16 when he became UK’s first 2025 commit.
Johnson joined less than a month later, announcing his commitment during a ceremony at his former high school, Woodford County.
Keep this page bookmarked as The Courier Journal regularly updates when Pope and Co. land more commitments from 2025 prospects:
What to know: A Lexington native, Jasper Johnson committed to Kentucky on Sept. 5 during a ceremony at his former high school: Woodford County in Versailles.
At different junctures of Johnson’s recruitment, Alabama and North Carolina were perceived as the leaders. But in the weeks leading up to his announcement, Pope and his staff rallied — and eventually earned Johnson’s commitment.
He’s a UK legacy: His father is Dennis Johnson, a standout defensive lineman for the Wildcats who now serves as Woodford County’s athletics director and head football coach.
Jasper’s grandfather, the late Alvis Johnson, was the longtime head football coach (1974-97) at Harrodsburg High (merged with Mercer County in 2006) and later worked as assistant athletics director at UK.
Jasper propelled Woodford County to the KHSAA Sweet 16 in 2023 — the school’s first appearance in the event since 1986. He departed Woodford County to suit up for national powerhouse Link Academy last season.
He’ll complete his final high school basketball season competing in the Overtime Elite league in Atlanta. Johnson is considered a five-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN, while On3 assessed him four stars.
The first player in the 2025 class to cast his dice with Kentucky, Malachi Moreno committed to Pope and the Wildcats on Aug. 16.
His 491 rebounds in 2023-24 led all players in Kentucky; Moreno grabbed 13.3 rebounds per outing, which ranked seventh among qualifying players.
Moreno also had a game in which he pulled down 25 rebounds to go along with 24 points. Moreno enters his senior season at Great Crossing with 1,638 points, 1,378 rebounds, 461 blocks and 62 double-doubles (in 105 games) in his high school career.
He also has four triple-doubles, all via double-digit tallies of points, rebounds and blocks. Moreno is a consensus four-star prospect, earning that rating from the four major recruiting services: Rivals, 247Sports, On3 and ESPN. Per the 247Sports Composite, Moreno is the nation’s No. 26 player in the 2025 class, ranking No. 2 among centers.
A five-star talent, per the 247Sports Composite, Johnson ranks No. 10 nationally — and No. 2 among shooting guards — in 2025.
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