Dennis Johnson watched his son Jasper's Kentucky debut from the top row of Rupp Arena

Jasper Johnson has already played two games at Rupp Arena as a Kentucky Wildcat, but last night was the first that counted — and the first that his dad, Dennis, could be there for. Dennis Johnson is both the football coach and athletic director at Woodford County High School. Both of Kentucky’s exhibitions conflicted with Woodford County’s football games, so last night’s game vs. Nicholls was Dennis’ first time seeing his son play another team in a Kentucky jersey. Even though his family has seats close to the court, Dennis chose to sit in the top row of the end zone of Rupp Arena, all by himself.

When you get to know Dennis, it makes total sense. The former Kentucky football star is a larger-than-life figure, just like his father, Alvis, a Kentucky high school coaching legend. Dennis is famously loud during his son’s games, to the point that he prefers to sit alone, for both his sake and the sake of those around him. Over the summer, he told KSR that he wanted Mark Pope to get him a seat at the very top of Rupp Arena so he could properly lose his mind during games.

“I’m always tight for any game, just because I know what’s on the table and the expectations we had, right? The ultimate goal is right there, and go to work every single practice, every single game, and you’re on the biggest stage in college basketball, man.”

“So, again, we won’t be sitting together,” he said, motioning to his wife, Nyoka. “I’ve got to talk to Coach Pope. I’ve got to get me a seat up at the top. Give me a group of people, you know what I’m saying? I just like to sit by myself because I’m just all over the place, and like I said, I want every shot to go in and every defensive assignment.”

Last night’s game wasn’t sold out, so Dennis had plenty of room to himself in Section 240.

This is where @BruhJasperJ dad, Dennis, is sitting to watch his son play in his 1st game at Rupp. I totally understand!@dmann55 pic.twitter.com/Z56mQtABWZ

— Ryan Lemond (@ryanlemond) November 5, 2025

Earlier this week, Jasper confirmed that his dad was coming to the game and that everyone knows the drill, even in Rupp Arena.

“Usually, when my dad comes to my games, he sits at the very, very high top row, as far away as possible, you know, because he’s crazy,” Jasper said. “A lot of screaming, a lot of yelling, a lot of frustration. But this is the first game he’ll be able to come to since he’s been coaching, but I’m not sure what to expect from him, honestly.”

Jasper played well last night, coming off the bench to score 11 points on 3-7 shooting from the field and 1-4 from three-point range. He also had four assists, a block, a steal, and a rebound in 22 minutes. When Kentucky’s offense stalled in the first half, Jasper was able to slice his way to the basket to give the Rupp Arena crowd something to cheer about. In the rare moments that he messed up last night — like when he missed a free throw, Dennis’ pet peeve — he was probably listening for his dad’s whistle from the top row.

“Yeah, I know I will [be able to pick out his voice in the crowd]. My dad’s probably the only person on this earth who can really get into my head when it comes to stuff like that. I know whenever I’m playing bad, he just does this little whistle that I know I’ll be able to pick up and spot him. But no, I’m definitely excited that he’ll be able to come see me play in person.”

During his interview with KSR, Dennis told two great stories about his behavior when he watches Jasper play. The first was from the City of Palms basketball tournament a few years ago in Florida. Jasper’s team, Link Academy, was playing North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, NC). Dennis and Nyoka walked in, and the organizers escorted them to their seats in the front row.

“I’m like, I know this is not gonna work,” Dennis said. “Like, right? So it’s like a Sweet 16. I saw all these rich people who donate, they’re all sitting around us and stuff.”

North Mecklenburg took an early 11-0 lead on Link, which got Dennis’ blood boiling. It was only a matter of time before…

“Jasper comes down and hits two threes in a row, then I think he misses a dunk. And I freaking probably said something I shouldn’t say, so there are people looking at me. His mom is like, ‘Shut up!’ And I’m like, yep. I said, ‘Man, I’m sorry. People, good to meet you guys.’ And I went up to the very top and found this guy who was an Army vet who said, ‘I’ve been coming here for 20 years.'”

The second story was from the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland this summer. Dennis found a spot high in the arena, where only a few people were sitting. He quickly made his presence known when Jasper missed two free throws.

“I hit the wall, and probably said a word I shouldn’t,” Dennis said. “These guys from Switzerland were like, ‘Man,’ – because they were Jasper fans – they looked at me. So I finally had to tell them, like, ‘Yeah, that’s my son.’ We became really good friends, but they were like, ‘Go get the cops. This dude is freaking hitting the wall ‘cause this dude missed some free throws.’”

Woodford County hosts Boone County in a playoff game Friday night, so Dennis won’t be able to come to Kentucky’s game vs. Valparaiso. Depending on how far Woodford County goes, he may not be back at Rupp until the Tennessee Tech game on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Whenever he does return, just look up to find him.

“I get too into it,” Dennis said. “So like, I said, let me get out of the way, you know what I’m saying? I’m too big to be sitting out here on the phone, you know, doing this. And I got a towel and all. So just let me get out of the way.”

“He’s trying to get as far away from me as possible, because he knows I get mad whenever he’s mad at me,” Jasper said.

All that said, there were some good moments in Section 240 last night, too, like when Dennis saw his son run out of the tunnel wearing a Kentucky jersey for the first time. From the highest point in Rupp, Dennis was undoubtedly thinking of his father, Alvis, also.

“He definitely will be [watching from above],” Dennis said of his dad. “It’ll definitely be heavy on my heart when he runs on the court for the first time. It’s definitely going to be emotional.”

Until…

“He’s in heaven, and like I said, he’ll be cheering – until he misses his first free throw, then he might be mad,” Dennis said, laughing.

For more on Dennis, Jasper, and the Johnson family legacy that Alvis created, I’ll direct you to my feature story from a few months ago.

[Jasper Johnson Ready to Honor His Grandfather’s Spirit, Continue Family Legacy at Kentucky]

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