(USA Basketball Photo)
For the second time, Jasper Johnson will be trying to win a gold medal with USA Basketball.
The incoming Kentucky freshman was one of 12 players named to the USA Basketball U19 National Team Friday that will compete at the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup June 28 to July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The roster also includes Mikel Brown Jr., AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Holt, Daniel Jacobsen, JJ Mandaquit, Morez Johnson Jr., Nik Khamenia, Brandon McCoy Jr., Koa Peat, Jordan Smith Jr. and Tyran Stokes. Each of the players has USA Basketball junior national team experience and the roster has a combined 19 gold medals.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is the team’s head coach.
Johnson, a 6-4 guard, won a gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U19 AmeriCup last summer and was also a part of the USA Men’s Nike Hoop Summit Team earlier this spring.
Dennis Johnson, Jasper’s father, was mowing grass when he got the news Friday that his son made the team. It was the same thing he was doing a year ago when the call came that his son had made the USA team.
“Jasper is excited,” said Dennis Johnson. “We were going on a vacation to Florida, but I guess now we are going to Switzerland like we did Argentina last summer.”
The timing works well for Dennis Johnson, the head football coach and athletics director at Woodford County High School.
“We do not resume practice after the dead period until July 14th. I give my players a few extra days off after the dead period ends because so many have vacations,” Dennis Johnson said.
Jasper Johnson was not sure when he was invited to the tryouts if he would even go to Switzerland if he was picked because he did not want to miss that much time with Kentucky and coach Mark Pope even though Pope gave his blessing to him making the trip from the start.
“The plan was just go and work out but then Jasper was really trying to make the team,” Dennis Johnson said. “He was avid about making it. As quiet as he is, especially compared to me because I was loud and a trash talker, Jasper’s internal drive challenges himself all the time.”
Dennis Johnson did not attend the tryout in Colorado Springs but got updates from Pope, an on-court coach for part of the tryouts, and Jasper’s agent.
“Pope said he didn’t shoot it well the first night but still scored and Pope said the next few days he killed it,” Dennis Johnson said. “Jasper’s agent was in Indianapolis for the NBA Finals with some clients but told me he kept getting calls about Jasper and how he was killing it.”
Johnson played two year at Woodford County and his team reached the state tournament semifinals in 2023. He transferred to Link Academy in Missouri for his junior season and then finished his high school career with Overtime Elite. He averaged 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season.
He also played for Team Thad on the EYBL AAU circuit and at Peach Jam last summer and averaged 19.8 points, 3.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
“The best thing ever for him was when he went to Link for his junior year and wanted to come back home,” Dennis Johnson said. “I told him he was there and he eventually got to where he loved it.
“Now I told him he has got to reset every day. He’s made the team but he still has to earn his minutes. I told him he had to press every day and even if he wasn’t scoring, do something else if he wanted to get on the court.”
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The Americans are in Group D with Australia, France and Cameroon. The U.S. has won the gold medal eight times, most recently in 2021.
3 Responses
Johnson has consistently made USA teams. He has the "Dog" in him that will carry him far.
I wasn’t real high on Jasper Johnson until I seen him play a couple of times. He looked elite. If this was the John Calapari years I would even say he’s a one and done. Problem is college basketball has changed with nil and the transfer portal. Instead of playing talent coaches are playing who is ready right now. Most of the one and done guys are now 2 and done or 3 and done. Your getting payed to play at a easier level then the NBA and these guys who are great college players are making upward of a million or more a year to perfect there craft. So instead of taking a chance after there freshman year now they are getting feedback of what they need to work on and are coming back more than ever. You will perfect your game more by playing than sitting on the bench. I think Jasper Johnson ends up being the backup point guard and will probably be the 6th or 7th man. I don’t see him starting with so much experience but he will give Lowe a run for his money. As the season goes on Jasper will catch up with Lowe more and more. I can also see a situation where Lowe comes back like Oweh did and runs the point with Jasper starting at the 2 guard in 26-27.
Kudos to Johnson for representing the US on the U19 national team. He will miss 3 weeks of Summer practice, but that will be an opportunity for Chandler and Noah to show how much their game has improved.
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