Freshman Jasper Johnson tried to give the right answer for the team when he was asked who is the best shooter on coach Mark Pope’s team.
“I would probably say Kam Williams. Trent Noah is shooting at a high clip,” Johnson said. “I’m always going to put myself as number one. I feel like I’m the best shooter in the world, but I’m putting my teammates first for the team chemistry to go up. I am just gonna say Trent Noah and Kam Williams are battling for number one.”
Johnson would not rate himself as the most physical player on the team. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound freshman was a top 20 national recruit and gold medal winner with USA Basketball but understood he would have to adjust to the physicality of college basketball. That meant he had to add weight and his grandmother, Rosetta Johnson, helped with that.
“He would call and come over and a couple of times he came and stayed a few days. I would make him get up and eat because he loves to sleep. He also loves pancakes and bacon, just not pork bacon,” Rosetta Johnson said. “He will eat pancakes for breakfast. He will eat pancakes for lunch and then he will want them for dinner. He loves pancakes.”
These are pancakes about the size of a dinner plate and the UK freshman normally eats two with butter and pancake syrup.
“But he only likes the Kroger brand (of pancake syrup),” Rosetta Johnson said. “There are just a lot of regular things he doesn’t like to eat. He could care less about pork chops and says pork hurts his stomach. He loves seafood and chicken but he really loves pancakes.”
He’s had to adjust his game on the court going against older, stronger players.
“I’m playing a lot of older guys. Maybe in high school I could maybe beat a double team or something,” Johnson said. “I am just trying to get stronger. I’ve been putting on a lot of weight and trying to manage that as well with my conditioning. That’s really what I’ve been adjusting to the most.”
After two years at Woodford County High School, he spent his junior season at Link Academy in Missouri and played with Overtime Elite in Atlanta last season going against some of the nation’s best prep players in practice and games. Still, he said playing at UK and in the Southeastern Conference is a big step up.
“At prep school I played with some guys that went on to be (NBA Draft) lottery picks this past season like Trey Johnson,” the Kentucky freshman said. “Labaron Philon is also a great player at the University of Alabama I played with there. Getting to play against guys at that level for a whole year was a great thing that helped me grow my game.”
He also played with elite talent on Team USA last summer when he was part of the gold-medal winning team. He said he had to find his role on a team of five-star players and learn the system that the coaches wanted. It’s a similar situation at Kentucky.
“We haven’t really started the season yet, but coach (Mark) Pope is expecting me to score the ball at an efficient level, but to also play defense and try to guard the best player I know,” Johnson said. “The SEC contains a lot of really great guards. You have to have a defensive mindset first. I know my offense will take care of itself. I feel like we can have a great team and can hang a (national championship) banner.”
Since Johnson grew up in central Kentucky and his father, Dennis, is a former UK all-SEC football player, he knows plenty about UK basketball history. He knows former UK and NBA guard Rajon Rondo and even calls him “Coach” when referring to him.
“He’s been in my ear trying to give me advice and prepare me as much as he can for the season. He’s been a really good mentor for me,” Johnson said. “I’ve talked to John Wall a couple times here and there. He’s also been somebody who I could reach out to.
“Coming to Kentucky, everybody who’s been in this jersey will always be willing to give back to you and reach out to you.”
Johnson said at UK’s Media Day that he has some of Rondo’s game in him after talking with him.
“He’s one of the highest IQ point guards to maybe ever play the game. Watching film with him kind of opens up a different side of my brain about trying to learn my teammates, being in different places on the floor and what to do,” Johnson said.
The UK freshman said both Rondo and Wall emphasized that they know he can score but that he had to know his teammates and what they can do.
“We’re two or three deep in each position of guys who can score the ball or have NBA level talent,” Johnson said. “I know the game now is about being able to score the ball at a high level at the point guard position, but also being able to dish the ball off and read your teammates.”
