Texas adds No. 25 prospect Johnson to class

AJ Johnson, the apical disposable imaginable successful precocious schoolhouse basketball, has committed to Texas, helium told ESPN connected Monday.

Johnson, ESPN's No. 25-ranked subordinate successful the 2023 precocious schoolhouse class, was the lone top-40 imaginable to denote wherever he'll beryllium playing adjacent play too Bronny James, who ranks No. 34.

Johnson picked Texas implicit offers from Louisville, LSU, NC State, Kansas, Tennessee, USC and G League Ignite, among others.

"I chose the assemblage way due to the fact that I privation to triumph a nationalist rubric earlier reaching the adjacent level," Johnson said. "The vulnerability I'll person playing connected TV each the clip volition assistance my wide brand."

A precocious bloomer who entered the speech arsenic a five-star imaginable lone this past summertime aft a beardown showing connected the Adidas grassroots circuit, Johnson took vantage of his archetypal invitation to a USA Basketball campy successful October to marque a assertion for information arsenic the champion semipermanent 2023 people subordinate imaginable successful attendance.

"During the pandemic, I grew astir 5-6 inches," Johnson said. "I worked connected my assemblage and my athleticism kicked in. I kept moving connected my crippled and God looked retired with the maturation spurt."

At 6-foot-6, Johnson has fantabulous size for a guard, showing outstanding fluidity playing disconnected creaseless hesitation moves with agelong strides and demonstrating creativity arsenic a finisher. He attacks the handbasket with his caput up looking to find teammates disconnected a unrecorded dribble, and helium shows committedness arsenic an extracurricular shooter disconnected the dribble and with his feet set, giving him a bully model to physique disconnected arsenic a large defender who tin handle, pass, sprout and excel successful the unfastened court. He's yet to crook 18, making him 1 of the younger prospects successful his class.

Johnson started the play astatine Donda Academy but elected to depart for adjacent SoCal Academy after antisemitic statements made by Donda's founder, Ye -- the creator formerly known arsenic Kanye West -- caused the schoolhouse to beryllium disinvited from respective salient precocious schoolhouse tournaments.

"Donda was cool," Johnson said. "I was upset I had to leave, but I understood why. We each built a enslaved determination and felt similar we didn't spell determination for Kanye, but to really play basketball. Going done each that was brainsick -- it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, for sure."

Johnson's committedness gives Texas the No. 8-ranked recruiting people successful 2023, aft antecedently nabbing top-10 imaginable Ron Holland from Duncanville extracurricular Dallas.

With projected top-10 draught prime freshman Dillon Mitchell apt disconnected to the NBA, and six seniors successful their rotation, 4 of whom are retired of eligibility astatine the decision of this season, the Longhorns inactive person enactment to bash successful filling retired their roster for adjacent year, the bulk of which is expected to hap successful the NCAA transportation portal.

Texas is disconnected to a beardown commencement astatine 3-0, including a 93-74 shellacking of then-No. 2 ranked Gonzaga past week. Newly instated adjunct manager Bob Donewald has revamped the Longhorns' offense, adjusting Chris Beard's accepted question discourtesy successful favour of a much modern wide-open drive-and-kick attack, playing astatine the fastest tempo of Beard's vocation frankincense far, including the highest complaint ever of 3-pointers attempted. The Longhorns fertile 77th successful mean possession length, per KenPom data, aft ranking 278th and 268th successful Beard's 2 erstwhile seasons astatine Texas and Texas Tech, portion inactive grinding opponents to a halt and possessing the No. 1 defence successful the country.

Johnson says that played a important relation successful his decision.

"The revamped Texas benignant was everything," Johnson said. "Coach Beard and Coach Terry's full transportation to maine was playing up-tempo and accelerated and letting their guards rock. Them losing 2-3 guards adjacent twelvemonth besides was huge, truthful I tin travel successful and play and marque an interaction close away."

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draught adept and the laminitis and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a backstage scouting and analytics work utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.