Jasper Johnson with his mother and brother after Wednesday’s win. (Dennis Johnson Photo)
Kentucky freshman Jasper Johnson had another solid outing for Team USA Wednesday at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland.
Team USA pounded Jordan 140-67 in the Round of 16 matchup while setting a single game scoring record for Team USA.
Johnson played almost 15 minutes despite injuring his left wrist late in Tuesday’s win — he did not have a wrap of any kind on his hand or wrist Wednesday. He had eight points on 3-for-6 shooting, including 2-for-5 from 3. He also grabbed two offensive rebounds and had one block, one steal and one assist.
Most of Johnson’s playing time came in the first half when Team USA quickly broke the game open. He had a steal and 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half in Team USA’s win Tuesday and Wednesday he had a steal near mid court followed by a nifty pass to a teammate for his assist.
Kentucky native Tyran Stokes, a major UK recruiting target, had a triple-double — 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists — in the win. He also had seven steals. Three other UK recruiting targets — Caleb Holt, Jordan Smith and Brandon McCoy — all had 13 points in the win.
Team USA will play rival Canada in Friday’s quarterfinals.
One Response
I am glad he is doing well and is leading the USA team to a win, but he is a kid playing against other kids. College and the SEC in particular will be a level of play that he hasn’t experienced yet. The battle tested veterans ahead of win will represent Kentucky on the floor. The freshmen need to commit to learning from the vets, get better, and be ready to step up in 2026/27 where they will have a chance to play for No. 10.