Is Jasper Johnson hiding in plain sight?

[Aike]

Chandler is my pick for someone next year being severely underestimated and taken for granted.

I think he makes huge strides and is one of our most important players by end of year.

100%. We have some great pieces already if only Owen and Chandler come back with Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis coming in.

Obviously still have Noah and TP, who both played important minutes for a Sweet 16 team.

Our fanbase…I mean…it’s hard to deal with how ridiculous it can be. This place can get pretty bad, but Twitter is much worse.

 

[PhattyJ4UK]

100%. We have some great pieces already if only Owen and Chandler come back with Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis coming in.

Obviously still have Noah and TP, who both played important minutes for a Sweet 16 team.

Our fanbase…I mean…it’s hard to deal with how ridiculous it can be. This place can get pretty bad, but Twitter is much worse.

And this board is the worst of the worst as far as being ridiculous.

 

[NerlensCat]

My biggest concern for JJ is his strength and defense. He will be fine on offense, with some really good games and some head scratchers because of his youth. He will be a guy in the top 8 who can get a shot/penetrate when not many can.

If he really applies himself, he could be a defender from an athletic perspective. If we can get Pierre onboard, Oweh and Pierre will make him a far better player through daily competition and making him defend to get minutes.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I'm looking forward to the Nike Hoop Summit and checking out Jasper Johnson. But I'm not going to put too much weight on an all-star game, unless he goes full Jamal Murray, 2015 Nike Summit...

That possibility aside, it feels like Kentucky fans are overlooking this guy a bit, while going into a meltdown an hour over every portal signing by any other program. I don't see him discussed the way top recruits have been on this board over the years.

It's not like Kentucky hasn't gotten some good results from freshmen guards. Johnson looks big, athletic and skilled to me. Is it possible his contribution is being undervalued at this point? That wouldn't surprise me.

What makes me pause is that we've seen too many freshman come in and really need a good chunk of the year (at least) before they can be reliable. And these guys are not the John Wall, AD, Fox types who you can sort of expect to hit the ground running.

On top of all this, we now have the transfer portal. So there's no guarantee that they're coming back a 2nd year even if the NBA isn't ready for them yet. That might be what concerns me the most. Even someone like Nick Richard's or Briscoe.. you sort of say "well, at least we will have them for a 2nd year".. but even that's in doubt.

We need guys like Moreno and Jasper to sort of be great very quickly.. and that's hard to expect of anyone who isn't a truly elite Flagg-like recruit.

This new era of college basketball makes me even more weary of 1AD and incoming freshman..

 

[Digger-Cat]

What makes me pause is that we've seen too many freshman come in and really need a good chunk of the year (at least) before they can be reliable. And these guys are not the John Wall, AD, Fox types who you can sort of expect to hit the ground running.

On top of all this, we now have the transfer portal. So there's no guarantee that they're coming back a 2nd year even if the NBA isn't ready for them yet. That might be what concerns me the most. Even someone like Nick Richard's or Briscoe.. you sort of say "well, at least we will have them for a 2nd year".. but even that's in doubt.

We need guys like Moreno and Jasper to sort of be great very quickly.. and that's hard to expect of anyone who isn't a truly elite Flagg-like recruit.

This new era of college basketball makes me even more weary of 1AD and incoming freshman..

Before the NIL and transfer portal, I hated it when the best recruits Cal got, were the lower level 5* kids. Those kids are rated there, because they are athletic freaks with length, they will eventually be very good, but in their 1 year, but it was too hit-and-miss.

Now that we're in the NIL era, it might be okay, depending on the kid. You have to pay top dollar for these kids, which sucks, but I do think it can work if you get kids with the right mindset and surround them with really good veterans. Heck, you might even get some of them back for a 2nd year.