The future Wildcat is headed to Switzerland.
Jasper Johnson, an incoming freshman on the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team, has earned a spot on the USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team, it was announced on Friday. The team is slated to compete at the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, which will run June 28 – July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Johnson is one of 12 players picked for the team, which was assembled following this week’s training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group will be coached by University of Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, assisted by Grant McCasland of Texas Tech and Micah Shrewsberry of Notre Dame.
The roster includes Johnson, 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.
The United States is in Group D for the tournament alongside Australia, France and Cameroon. The inaugural event was held in 1979 and, until 2007, was held every four years. Since 2007, the tournament is held biannually. The U.S. has won the gold medal eight times, most recently in 2021. This year’s tournament will be the 17th staging of the event all time.
Johnson earned 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 that defeated the World Select team, 124-114, in overtime. The 6-foot-4 combo guard began his high school career at Woodford County High School in Versailles, Kentucky, where he helped lead the Yellowjackets to the semifinals of the KHSAA Sweet 16 in 2023, while also playing quarterback on the football team.
Johnson finished his high school career with Overtime Elite, where he averaged 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists for Real Wild Energy as a senior. He also played for Team Thad on the EYBL AAU circuit and was a standout at Peach Jam in the summer of 2024, averaging 19.8 points, 3.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals across five games.