Mark Pope: Jasper Johnson is a ‘superstar,’ Malachi Moreno ‘keeps getting better’

One year after bringing Trent Noah and Travis Perry to Lexington, Mark Pope has once again signed the two best high school basketball players in Kentucky: Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. Both four-star recruits, they could see extended minutes on the floor as true freshman.

Pope spoke highly of both incoming freshman when addressing the media earlier this month to preview the upcoming season. The two Kentucky natives are built-in fan favorites based on where they were born, Pope believes they’ll win Big Blue Nation over with their play on the court.

“Listen, I think Jasper Johnson is a superstar,” Pope told reporters. “I expect him to come in here and be great. And for every for every freshman, there is a learning curve in terms of the physicality and intensity of the game, the relentless physicality, intensity of the game. But Jasper Johnson has got a really, really incredible skill set.

“He’s one of those guys. There are very few players who just go get a shot whenever they want it. He can do it. He’s got a ability to get skinny and kind of do things defensively that are going to be surprising. … I think he’s a big shot maker, and I expect him to be great. He needs to come here and be great, and that’s what he wants to do.”

Johnson is the son of former Kentucky All-SEC defensive lineman, Dennis Johnson, so he’s been around the university for years. The Kentucky legacy will look to hit the ground running with the Wildcats this offseason.

Meanwhile, Moreno is a 7-footer and has been getting Division I looks since he was a freshman in high school. He’s also the No. 1 center in the class, and logged 36 double-doubles during his senior year at Great Crossing (KY) just outside of Lexington.

“It seems like every day, college evaluators and NBA evaluators fall more and more in love with him,” Pope continued. “He just is. He just keeps getting better, and he is getting better every day. We’re really excited to have him on here.”

Pope said that more than their basketball skills, both Johnson and Moreno are proud of the fact they have the opportunity to represent their home university. Of course, how much they’ll see the floor as true freshmen remain to be seen, but both Travis Perry and Trent Noah were able to carve out roles for themselves on last year’s squad. Who’s to say this year’s true freshmen won’t do the same?