Kentucky basketball commit Jasper Johnson and his AAU team, Rod Wave Elite (RWE), defeated Huntington Expressions Prep (W.V.) 71-70 in the Court XIV Classic at Woodford County High School on Sunday evening.
Johnson finished the night with 31 points, 20 of those being in the first half. After the game, he was awarded MVP and received a check for $500.
The Lexington native started his high school career at Woodford County, leading the Yellow Jackets to the semifinals of the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen in 2023. He is a top 20 recruit in his class. Johnson spent his junior year at Link Academy in Missouri and, after that, he headed to Atlanta to be a part of RWE, the Overtime Elite program. He chose Kentucky over many other schools including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisville and North Carolina.
Mark Pope and his future player, Malachi Moreno (senior at Great Crossing High School), were courtside to watch Kentucky’s future guard shine.
The Court XIV Classic is held in remembrance of Alvis Johnson. Alvis Johnson held many titles throughout his educational career. His roles included: coach, teacher, assistant principal and athletic director. While at Harrodsburg High School, he led the track and field teams to five state championships and football teams to three state final appearances.
This year’s Court XIV Classic featured Taylor County, Woodford County, North Laurel, Trinity, Huntington Expressions Prep (WV) and Rod Wave Elite.
The final game of the night had Woodford County’s gym at full capacity. Johnson and Taylen Kinney attracted fans from across Kentucky and beyond to Versailles Sunday evening.
Kinney is averaging 20.8 points per game with RWE. He is uncommitted with offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky and Tennessee along with several others.
Johnson is averaging 20.2 points per game and returned to Woodford County with a brilliant performance, leaving Kentucky basketball fans excited and expectant for the future of the program.
The Woodford County Yellow Jackets defeated the Taylor County Cardinals in the first matchup with a score of 66-53. At halftime of this matchup, the Cardinals led 29-21 and the Cardinals’ Davier White led all scorers with 13 points.
The Yellow Jackets were led by Armelo Boone with 23 points and Thurman Wade with 18. Taylor County’s White versus Woodford’s Boone was electric with both guys going at it on offense.
The second game was the North Laurel Jaguars versus the Trinity Shamrocks. Trinity took down North Laurel 50-43 and junior Jayden Johnson was awarded MVP of the game.
The event showcased some of the top talent in high school basketball. With a packed gym, Johnson’s performance sealed his status as one of the nation’s top recruits, giving Pope and Big Blue Nation more to look forward to.
