Texas includes No. 25 possibility Johnson to class

AJ Johnson, the top available prospect in high school basketball, has committed to Texas, he informed ESPN on Monday.Johnson, ESPN’s

No. 25-ranked player in the 2023 high school class, was the only top-40 possibility to reveal where he’ll be playing next season besides Bronny James, who ranks No. 34.

Johnson selected Texas over offers from Louisville, LSU, NC State, Kansas, Tennessee, USC and G League Ignite, to name a few.

“I chose the college path because I wish to win a national title before reaching the next level,” Johnson stated. “The exposure I’ll receive using TV all the time will help my total brand.”

A late bloomer who got in the discussion as a five-star prospect just this past summer after a strong proving on the Adidas grassroots circuit, Johnson made the most of his first welcome to an U.S.A. Basketball camp in October to make a claim for consideration as the best long-term 2023 class member possibility in presence.

AJ Johnson selected Texas over deals from Louisville, LSU, NC State, Kansas, Tennessee, USC and G League Ignite, to name a few. U.S.A. Basketball

“Throughout the pandemic, I grew around 5-6 inches,” Johnson said. “I dealt with my body and my athleticism started. I kept dealing with my game and God looked out with the growth spurt.”

At 6-foot-6, Johnson has outstanding size for a guard, showing outstanding fluidity playing off smooth doubt relocations with long strides and demonstrating creativity as a finisher. He assaults the basket with his direct wanting to find teammates off a live dribble, and he reveals promise as an outside shooter off the dribble and with his feet set, giving him a great framework to construct off as a big guard who can handle, pass, shoot and excel in the open court. He’s yet to turn 18, making him among the more youthful potential customers in his class.Johnson started the

season at Donda Academy however chosen to depart for nearby SoCal Academy after antisemitic declarations made by Donda’s founder, Ye– the artist previously called Kanye West– triggered the school to be disinvited from a number of prominent high school competitions.”Donda was cool,”Johnson stated.”I was upset I needed to leave,

however I understood why. All of us developed a bond there and felt like we didn’t go there for Kanye, but to actually play basketball. Going through all that was crazy– it was an once-in-a-lifetime experience, for sure.” Johnson’s dedication gives Texas the No. 8-ranked recruiting class in 2023, after

previously capturing top-10 possibility Ron Holland from Duncanville outside Dallas.With projected top-10 draft pick freshman Dillon Mitchell likely off to the NBA, and six elders in their rotation, four of whom run out eligibility at the conclusion of this season, the Longhorns still have work to do in submitting their lineup for next year, the bulk of which is expected to occur in the NCAA transfer portal.Texas is off to a strong start at 3-0, consisting of a 93-74 shellacking of then-No. 2 ranked Gonzaga last week. Recently instated assistant coach Bob Donewald has actually revamped the Longhorns’offense

, adjusting Chris Beard’s traditional movement offense in favor of a more modern wide-open drive-and-kick attack, dipping into the fastest tempo of Beard’s profession thus far, including the greatest rate ever of 3-pointers tried. The Longhorns rank 77th in average possession length, per KenPom information, after ranking 278th and 268th in Beard’s two previous seasons at Texas and Texas Tech, while still grinding challengers to a stop and possessing the No. 1 defense in the country.Johnson says that played a considerable function in his choice.”The revamped Texas style was everything,”Johnson said.”Coach Beard and Coach Terry’s entire pitch to me was playing up-tempo and quick and letting their guards rock. Them losing 2-3 guards next year also was big, so I can be available in and play and make an impact right away. “Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft professional and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private hunting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.