Kentucky men’s basketball head coach Mark Pope, along with incoming freshmen Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, will participate in the 2025 USA Basketball U19 National Team training camp starting June 14 at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Pope will serve as one of three on-court coaches, marking his first official involvement with Team USA. Johnson and Moreno will compete for spots on the 12 man roster that will represent the U.S. at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.
This is Moreno’s second appearance at a USA training camp, while Johnson previously won gold with the U.S. at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Both also played on the USA Nike Hoop Summit Team this spring, helping defeat the World Select Team in overtime, 124-114.
Johnson, a 6 – foot – 4 guard, averaged 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists during his senior season with Real Wild Energy in the Overtime Elite League. He began his high school career at Woodford County in Kentucky, where he led the Yellowjackets to the KHSAA Sweet 16 semifinals in 2023 and played quarterback on the football team. On the AAU circuit with Team Thad, Johnson shined at the 2024 Peach Jam, averaging 19.8 points and 3.2 assists per game, and led Team USA in 3-point shooting at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
Moreno, a consensus top 25 prospect, earned Mr. Kentucky Basketball honors after a dominant senior season at Great Crossings, where he averaged 21.5 points, 14.9 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, and 3.5 assists per game. He led his team to a state championship and was named a McDonald’s All-American. In the title game, he posted 24 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. As a junior, he averaged 16 points and 13.3 rebounds, recording a double-double in each of his 2024 state tournament games.
Training camp finalists will be announced June 16, with the final roster to be set by June 21. The U19 World Cup runs June 28 – July 6 in Switzerland, with Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd leading Team USA.
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