Jasper Johnson is a ‘great option’ at Point Guard

Jasper Johnson (Vicky Graff Photo)

As anticipated starting point guard Jaland Lowe is “slowly recovering” after dislocating his right shoulder again according to several sources, Kentucky coach Mark Pope has to decide what to do at point guard.

Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen played point guard at times on last year’s national title team and has this season as well with Lowe’s shoulder issues. He has 12 assists and only three turnovers while averaging 24 minutes per game in UK’s four games. He’s also Kentucky’s leading scorer at 15.3 points per game and one of the team’s best perimeter defenders.

Pope was ecstatic after Friday’s win over Eastern Illinois with the play of freshman Jasper Johnson who seems the most logical candidate to be the backup point guard with Lowe out. Johnson has 16 assists and seven turnovers in 69 minutes of play. He’s also 6-for-16 from 3-point range. He had seven assists and two turnovers in 19 minutes against Eastern Illinois and was 3-for-7 from the field.

“Jasper was kind of getting to where he needs to go to on the court. He didn’t have his best night tonight. But I have a lot of faith in him that he can get where he wants to go,” Pope said after the Eastern Illinois game. “He is certainly not scared of the moment. I think he’s growing as a defensive player. 

“I think he’s got an opportunity to be an elite level playmaking passer, especially against different ball screen looks.  He just needs time right now.  You know, he’s a little bit of a deflection guy trying to make reads off ball screens, especially when there’s pressure. It’s a place where he’s capable and gonna grow, just gonna grow fast.

“I think he’s a great option for us at the one. He’s an incredibly talented player. He’s going to be a star.  You know, it’s just a learning process.”

Last season when injuries depleted UK’s point guard depth, Pope used Amari Williams as a point center. The 7-footer handled the ball and started the offense often.

Could Mo Dioubate, Brandon Garrison or Malachi Moreno fill the same role this year that Williams did during the 2024-25 season?

“It’s one of the nice things about the way we play is we feel like we have a lot of options to go to on a need to basis. There’s so much to learn and so, but yes, I feel a lot of comfort because I think we have a lot of options,” Pope said. “It’s not really options like the ball is going to be in this person’s hands all the time. 

“It’s just that there are a lot of ways we can attack the game with guys that can potentially be play making deciders. I feel pretty good about that. I have a lot of comfort. That’s one of the beautiful things about our roster.”