How do you slow down Jasper Johnson? His 5-star teammate doesn't know: "If he's open, it's going in."

Five-star guard Tre Johnson was seen as the star of the show entering the season for reigning GEICO Nationals champion Link Academy, the team’s offensive anchor en route to yet another title. And make no mistake about it, the Texas signee and likely lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is undoubtedly that for the Lions.

But prep powerhouses are complete teams from top to bottom, rosters lined with high-major talent. One-man shows get you nowhere when competing for national championships. That’s why Link went to Woodford County High School in Versailles to find its next can’t-miss prospect in Jasper Johnson, hoping the 6-5 guard could help head coach Bill Armstrong go back-to-back.

The early returns? Well, the Lexington native has been everything the Lions hoped for and more. Look no further than Johnson’s 37-point outing in his homecoming matchup this weekend in front of John Calipari. Drilling 10 3-pointers in a 90-52 blowout victory over five-star guard Darryn Peterson and Huntington Prep, the Kentucky target was unconscious from start to finish, looking the part as a legitimate top-10 recruit in his class.

Tre Johnson said his newest teammate’s career performance wasn’t a surprise — he sees it every day in practice. It’s a product of his hard work and willingness to adapt to different roles since arriving at Link this offseason.

“Just the improvement overall,” the Texas signee told KSR following the other Johnson’s 37-point effort back home at Woodford County. “He’s clearly shown he’s open to anything, showing he can play on the ball and off the ball. He has really shown he can play off the ball. He came in showing he could play on the ball a lot, but then we all told him we’re trying to look out for him too, help get him his shots because he can score just like the rest of us. ‘Let us help you out.’

“He accepted it, played off the ball. Then when he starts cooking, we just get out of the way.”

That’s how it was Sunday at Woodford County High School. Johnson started launching from the opening tip and refused to miss, finishing 10-13 from deep overall. His teammates realized quickly they needed to find him on every offensive possession and enjoy the show.

It makes life easier for the nation’s No. 1 shooting guard, who has been opposing teams’ top scouting priority at the high school and AAU levels for years now. Hoping to ice him out of games? That’s fine. Johnson will find the other Johnson.

“He can really shoot the ball, so when teams try to play my drive or come over and help, just kicking it to him and finding him — if he’s open, it’s going in,” the No. 4 overall recruit said of Jasper. “… It’s amazing, he can really space the floor for me and Labaron (Philon). You really can’t sit there and help off of him because he’s going to get going. And when he gets going, he can shoot from anywhere. It’s going in.”

And he’s not just a catch-and-shoot specialist. There’s more in his toolbox than that. Take away his jumper and he’ll attack the basket where he can punch it on your head or kick it out to an open teammate. The Lexington native can hurt you at all three levels as a scorer and facilitator.

“His strength is playmaking. When you play him, you can’t give him the shot and you can’t really press up on him because he’ll go around you. We’re just trying to learn how to play him. … His shooting ability and his unselfishness (separate his game from others at the high school level),” the Texas signee said of Johnson. “Some guys are unselfish, but they can’t shoot the ball. If you can’t shoot, they’ll just play off of you. But he can shoot the ball and he likes to pass it, so that’s really tough to guard.”

That’s why Jasper Johnson is rated as the No. 12 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. It’s also why he’s a top recruiting priority for John Calipari and the Kentucky coaching staff — among a few dozen total programs.