UNC Basketball program included in Jasper Johnson's list of finalists

Just like that, five-star guard Jasper Johnson's recruitment is down to five programs.

To no surprise, Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program made the list of finalists, as they are joined by Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisville on the list. Auburn, Baylor, Missouri, USC and West Virginia were the five programs eliminated from his original top-10 list that was released in January.

The Tar Heels have been heavily invested in the recruitment of Johnson, a five-star talent and one of the top players in the Class of 2025. It seems to be a three-team race, as Alabama, Kentucky and North Carolina have received the most buzz in this particular recruitment.

If it's up to Hubert Davis, Jasper Johnson will be wearing Carolina Blue for the 2025-2026 season.

Johnson had some interesting things to say about the UNC basketball program in his interview with On3's Joe Tipton. The lefty guard talked a bit in-depth about what Hubert Davis and Sean May had been telling him.

“Coach (Hubert) Davis tells me if he could get me now as a reclass, or stay (in 2025), he wants me whenever. He definitely says he wants me to play for him next year or whenever I want to. So him giving me that message and then coach (Sean) May is texting me and my parents every single day. Just building that relationship and that bond.”

It's very important to note that Johnson plans on staying in the Class of 2025, but the point of his quote is simple: the Tar Heels want him whenever he would decide to join them.

Johnson is a special player with the skillset to score on all three levels at an elite level. He will be a major addition to whichever program he decides to join. As we discussed in our potential 2025 recruiting class for the UNC basketball program, Johnson is simply a must-get target for this recruiting class.