Americans celebrate the Fourth of July weekend by wearing red, white, and blue. Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson may add gold to that ensemble on Sunday.
The best of the best in basketball from around the world have spent more than a week competing in the FIBA U19 World Cup. Team USA has run the table with relative ease so far. Their final test is against Germany. The action starts RIGHT NOW and you can stream it live.
Jasper Johnson seems to be getting better with each game. In the semifinal win over New Zealand, he got hot from downtown, knocking down three three-pointers en route to a 14-point outing in only 18 minutes of action.
Team USA shares the wealth in events like this. Johnson has not played more than 20 minutes in any of the six contests, averaging 8.5 points per game in about 15 minutes an appearance.
When Mark Pope built the 2025-26 Kentucky basketball roster, he sought out upgrades in defense and athleticism. In doing so, there aren’t as many dead-eye three-point shooters. As a true freshman, the Cats will rely on Johnson to fill it up from deep. He’s shown that he can do just that against the best in the world. Johnson is 11-26 in the tournament, shooting 42.3% for Team USA. That’s the 8th-best in the field among players with at least 25 attempts. If Johnson is shooting at that clip next season for the Wildcats, watch out.
“If Jasper Johnson is hitting shots from deep, you are at his mercy,” said the Field of 68’s Terrence Oglesby. “The Kentucky guard is so crafty off the bounce that if you have to close out tight, he’s tough to stay in front of. I think he’ll have some big games this year, but the physicality of the SEC is different.”
Team USA Roster
- Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville)
- AJ Dybantsa (BYU)
- Caleb Holt
- Daniel Jacobson (Purdue)
- Jasper Johnson (Kentucky)
- Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan)
- Nike Khamenia (Duke)
- JJ Mandaquit (Washington)
- Brandon McCoy Jr.
- Koa Peat (Arizona)
- Jordan Smith Jr.
- Tyran Stokes
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