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Kentucky signee Jasper Johnson will return home Sunday night with his Overtime Elite RWE teammates to play in the Court XIV Classic at Woodford County High School against Huntington Prep.
The triple header includes host Woodford playing Taylor County at 4 p.m. and Trinity taking on North Laurel at 5:30 p.m. earlier Sunday before the marquee game at 7.
Dennis Johnson, Jasper’s father and Woodford athletics director, said the event not only honors the memory of Alvis Johnson, his father, but also will give youngsters a chance to see what big-time talent looks like.
“If you stay in your box and don’t see what goes on outside Kentucky, you don’t know what it takes. Young kids across Kentucky can see what big-time talent looks like. Everybody wants to be a college athlete and this will be a chance for kids to see what it takes to reach that level,” Dennis Johnson said.
Last year’s event attracted a lot of coaches, including then UK coach John Calipari and then UK star Reed Sheppard, to watch Jasper Johnson. Since Arkansas plays at UK Saturday, Johnson would not be surprised if Calipari or someone on his staff attends the game since Arkansas is recruiting RWE junior Taylen Kinney, a former standout at Newport High School.
Dennis Johnson also would not be surprised if UK coach Mark Pope and some UK players attend the RWE-Huntington Prep game.
“People were surprised last year with all the college coaches in the building,” Johnson said.
Jasper Johnson played in the game last year with Link Academy before transferring to Overtime Elite in Atlanta this season.
“Jasper is doing well. I have always wanted to put him in different situations and give him a chance to work on a lot of things,” Johnson said. “On ball, off ball, lot of right-handed stuff. He can work out with some pros in the Atlanta area and top level trainers. It has been a productive year for him.”
Dennis Johnson said RWE coach Corey Frazier tells him that he talks to Pope and his staff more than any other staff in the country. RWE is even running some of the same offensive sets as UK.
“When UK is playing they are talking about things they need to do. I talk to him about how you affect the game when you are not scoring. Defense is one point of emphasis where he has to get better,” Dennis Johnson said. “His assists are up. He is rebounding better. He does not have a super body at 180 pounds but at 6-4, 6-5 he has got to rebound and throw his body in there.
“He is filling up the stat sheet more this year. He is doing less scoring but he is trying to do more of the other stuff and that’s good because at the next level you want to be versatile.”
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Tickets are still available for the Court XIV Classic here.
