Former North Carolina Tar Heels’ forward Puff Johnson entered the transfer portal earlier this week, becoming the fourth of five players to do so from the 2022-23 roster.
Johnson’s departure was a little surprising after he spent three seasons at North Carolina. But he never really stayed healthy and didn’t get as much playing time as he wanted this past season. As Johnson begins his new recruitment, he’s already gaining significant interest from teams who are looking at the portal to fill needs.
That includes a blue blood: Kentucky.
The Wildcats are among a handful of teams that have reached out to Johnson per John Rothstein. The list includes Indiana, West Virginia, TCU, Arizona State, Pitt, LSU and Butler.
North Carolina transfer Puff Johnson tells me that he's receiving interest from the following programs:
Kentucky
Indiana
Arizona State
TCU
West Virginia
Pitt
Oklahoma
LSU
Butler
Seton Hall
Tulane
Colorado State
Grand Canyon
UC Santa Barbara
Duquesne— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 26, 2023
While battling injuries, Johnson averaged 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds across 65 games as a Tar Heel. He showed flashes of potential during North Carolina’s run to the national championship game a year ago and was expected to be a big factor this year.
But after the Tar Heels recruited Pete Nance to play the 4, Johnson’s role was off the bench again.
Johnson should be one of the more sought-after players in the portal this offseason.
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