New Kentucky coach Mark Pope landed a statement win on the recruiting trail Thursday as five-star guard Jasper Johnson announced his commitment to the Wildcats, who beat out North Carolina and Alabama for his pledge.
Arkansas and Louisville were also in Johnson's final five, but it was a three-way battle between Kentucky, North Carolina and Alabama over the past few months.
Coming out of the July period, Alabama was perceived to be the favorite, but Pope and the Wildcats surged over the final couple of weeks to emerge as Johnson's destination.
While Johnson attended Link Academy (Missouri) last season and signed in July with Overtime Elite, he is a Lexington native who is heading home for college. «Being from Lexington and playing for the home school, my city and state meant something to me,» he told ESPN. «Rupp Arena is a magical place.» Pope and his assistants made their final pitch earlier this week. «I got close to the staff.