Jordan Brand Classic Primer from a Kentucky Wildcats Perspective

Keldon Johnson and Immanuel Quickley game Kentucky Wildcats fans a good showing at the McDonald’s All American Game.

Next up, Johnson and UK guard commit Tyler Herro will showcase their skills in Brooklyn, New York at the Jordan Brand Classic.

The game will be at 5:00 PM and will be shown on ESPN 2. Last year, Jarred Vanderbilt scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds before injuring his right foot. As we are all aware, that foot injury lingered and prevented Vanderbilt for playing an entire season during his freshman campaign.

Hopefully Herro and Johnson will not experience the same fate as Vanderbilt but instead ball out like former MVPs Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, Julius Randle, and Anthony Davis.

Rosters:

Away Team

• Darius Bazley (Princeton (OH); will play in G-League next season)
• Bol Bol (Findlay Prep (NV); committed to Oregon)
• Darius Garland (Brentwood Academy (TN); Vanderbilt)
• Quentin Grimes (College Park (TX); Kansas)
• Tyler Herro (Whitnall (WI); Kentucky)
• Jaylen Hoard (Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC); Wake Forest)
• Keldon Johnson (Oak Hill Academy (VA); Kentucky)
• Louis King (Hudson Catholic (NJ); Oregon)*
• Nassir Little (Orlando Christian Prep (FL); North Carolina)
• Shareef O’Neal (Crossroads School (CA); UCLA
• Will Richardson (Oak Hill Academy (VA); Oregon)
• Simi Shittu (Vermont Academy (VT); Vanderbilt)*
• Javonte Smart (Scotlandville Magnet (LA); LSU)
• Coby White (Greenfield School (NC); North Carolina)

Home Team

• Jalen Carey (Immaculate Conception (NJ); Syracuse)*
• R.J. Barrett (Montverde Academy (FL); Duke)*
• Ayo Dosunmu (Morgan Park (IL); Illinois)
• Tre Jones (Apple Valley (MN); Duke)
• Romeo Langford (New Albany (IN); Uncommitted)
• Andrew Nembhard (Montverde Academy (FL); Florida)
• Cameron Reddish (Westtown School (PA); Duke)
• Anfernee Simons (IMG Academy (FL); Uncommitted)
• Jalen Smith (Mount St. Joseph (MD); Maryland)
• Cole Swider (St. Andrew’s School (RI); Villanova)
• Emmitt Williams (Oak Ridge (FL); LSU)
• Zion Williamson (Spartanburg Day (SC); Duke)

Kentucky target E.J. Montgomery was not invited to the event and neither was Kentucky commit Immanuel Quickley.

One of the storylines coming into this game is the injury-laden rostes. Duke’s Zion Williamson. Syracuse’s Jalen Carey, Oregon’s Louis King, and Vanderbilt’s Simi Shittu will not play due to injury.

And as of right now, according to Adam Zagoria, it is unclear whether or not Keldon Johnson will play.

If there is any question at all about his health, Johnson needs to sit out.

It would be a shame because he put on a show in the final minutes of the McDonald’s All American Game as he scored and shut down R.J. Barrett to help the West win the game:

The big story for Kentucky fans is Tyler Herro. After decommitting from Wisconsin and rising all the way to a five-star player, Herro was snubbed by the MCDAA Game. BBN will now have a chance to watch a player whom they hope will bring much needed scoring and shooting.

Herro’s hype has built all high school season and now’s the time to solidify that hype. He averaged 32.9 points and was named an All American his senior season.