Kentucky transfer G Jasper Johnson commits to Oregon

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Dana Altman might not have been able to secure commits from two talented guards who recently visited, but he did pick up a former top prospect.

Kentucky transfer guard Jasper Johnson announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. Johnson was the No. 25 prospect in the 2025 class, per Rivals Industry Ranking, and is another combo guard the Ducks can work with. 247Sports’ Travis Branham first reported Johnson’s commitment. He was the highest-rated recruit under Kentucky head coach Mark Pope.

Johnson averaged 4.9 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 35 games off the bench for the Wildcats, but his minutes were inconsistent. In a new role with the Ducks, possibly as a valuable scorer off the bench, he could flourish into a dependable piece.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, Johnson has enough size and power to be a weapon no matter how Altman chooses to deploy him. The Ducks are still looking for a primary point guard after Preston Edmead chose to go to NC State instead of Oregon, but Altman is still trying to stack as many scorers as possible, it seems.

The southpaw shooter dropped 22 points against NCCU in December and showcases some impressive catch-and-shoot ability from 3-point range down the stretch of the season. Due to injuries in the backcourt for Kentucky, Johnson was pushed into a backup point guard role that didn't fully fit his strengths. In Eugene, the Ducks could really open the floor for him.

Johnson is able to create his own shot when he needs to and shoot across the floor. It makes sense for Altman and the Ducks to take a swing at the former elite prospect, especially given the uncertainty around the current roster. Johnson won’t have as many restrictions offensively as he did at Kentucky, and the Ducks could find a way to make him a dominant ball-handler if they wind up short on point guards.

Oregon is going to have to continue to be creative with who they bring aboard, but Johnson is a very minimal risk with potentially huge upside and is in line for a breakout campaign in Eugene.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon lands former top prospect in transfer portal from Kentucky

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