Tag: AJ Johnson

College Basketball: Five-star PF Ron Holland decommits from Texas

The loss of Ron Holland leaves Texas without a single player in its 2023 recruiting class.

Another tough blow for Rodney Terry and Texas basketball as 2023 five-star power forward Ron Holland announced his decommitment from the program on Friday.

Holland committed to Texas before Chris Beard was let go for an alleged domestic violence incident in January. He chose the Longhorns over the likes of Arkansas, UCLA and Kentucky.

“I want to take this time to thank head coach RT and the entire Texas coaching staff for their consideration, I would also like to thank the Longhorn Nation for all their love and support, While this has been a difficult process, I have decided to decommit from University of Texas and re-open my recruitment. Texas will still be one of my top schools of choice.”

The Duncanville product is ranked as the No. 1 product in the state of Texas and the No. 6 overall player in the cycle.

The loss of Holland leaves Texas without a single player in its 2023 recruiting class. Fellow five-star AJ Johnson opted to sign a pro contract in Australia over playing college ball.

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Texas loses 5-star commit A.J. Johnson to professional ranks in Australia

Johnson was ranked 15th in the class of 2023 and is considered a potential first-round pick next year.

A.J. Johnson, a five-star prospect from Fresno, California, told ESPN on Thursday that he has decommitted from Texas and will sign with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League.

Johnson signed a letter of intent in November and was set to begin playing with the Longhorns in the fall. He has changed course and will instead play professionally in Australia, becoming the highest-ranked prospect to do so since LaMelo Ball during the 2019-20 season.

The 6-foot-5 guard out of Southern California Academy was ranked 15th in the class of 2023 by 247Sports and is considered a potential first-round pick next year. He is highly touted for his ability as a ballhandler and scorer, and his willingness to get his teammates involved.

The NBL has helped produce several first-round picks in recent memory, including Ball, Ousmane Dieng, Josh Giddey and RJ Hampton. The league is viewed as a great route to help prepare players with aspirations of playing in the NBA given its physicality and overall competition level.

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Five-star PG AJ Johnson decommits from Texas, opts for pro deal in Australia

Five-star point guard AJ Johnson has decommited from Texas to get a jump start on his professional career.

Five-star point guard AJ Johnson has decommitted from Texas to get a jump start on his professional career. Johnson is signing with Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL.

Johnson feels skipping the collegiate level is going to serve his career better in the long run.

“I feel like I thrive in more of an up and down system, getting up more shots and playing off feel but you are also still playing off of actions and stuff like that. I also want to get started on my professional career and taking it more serious so that I can really lock in on the game and try to be the best player I can be.”

247Sports ranks Johnson as the No. 1 prospect in the state of California and a top 15 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The loss of Johnson is a significant one for Rodney Terry and Texas. The Longhorns are now forced to replace a majority of last season’s roster and one of their prized recruits. Texas is left with five-star forward Ron Holland as the Horns’ lone 2024 signee.

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Texas’ five-star signees react to Rodney Terry landing the head coaching job

Five-star signees Ron Holland and AJ Johnson are happy to see Terry get the job.

Texas officials removed the interim tag from Rodney Terry’s name on Monday, making him the 26th head coach in Texas basketball history.

Terry signed a five-year deal to take over the Longhorns program.

Five-star signees Ron Holland and AJ Johnson are happy to see Terry get the job. Holland told the media at the McDonald’s All-American game how excited he is for Coach Terry.

“Just knowing how hard he had those guys playing and he really deserves that job. Just to see him reach that goal and for them to give him the opportunity to continue to coach that team, it’s a really good feeling for me because I get to stay committed to that team. Me and AJ Johnson, we get to go try get us a national championship next year.”

Johnson spoke with On3 Sports about his feelings on Terry earning the head coaching title.

“I feel really good about that. He’s a really good coach. I had a relationship with him before Beard. Coach Terry and I have a very good relationship. It definitely helps me a lot.”

Terry is looking to build off Texas’ great season that featured a conference tournament title and Elite Eight run. Keeping its two coveted five-star signees in the fold is a big first step for Terry and company.

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Five-stars Ron Holland and AJ Johnson reaffirm commitment to Texas

Ron Holland and AJ Johnson are locked in with Texas.

Five-stars Ron Holland and AJ Johnson took to Twitter to reaffirm their futures with Texas this week. While the duo has signed a letter of intent with the Longhorns, head coach Chris Beard’s status remains in question following some legal issues in December.

Holding on to both Holland and Johnson is enormous news for the future of Texas’ program. Two premier talents are sought after by many schools across the nation.

Holland ranks as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Texas and a top 10 player nationally, while Johnson is the No. 2 guard in California and the No. 15 overall player in the 247Sports composite.

Rodney Terry and the Longhorns are back in action Tuesday night to take on Kansas State. No. 6 Texas looks to continue its best start since 2010 against the Wildcats.

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Texas Basketball: Five-star guard AJ Johnson commits to the Longhorns

Chris Beard has Texas’ basketball program rolling.

Chris Beard has Texas’ basketball program rolling at the moment. Less than a week following the Longhorns’ statement victory over Gonzaga, Texas just hit a home run on the recruiting trail.

Five-star guard AJ Johnson announced his commitment to Texas on Monday afternoon. He chose the Horns over the likes of Lousiville, LSU and professional opportunities.

“I chose Texas because I have seen what they do every day and the people around them. I just feel like it’s where I’ll be the most comfortable. Also, I chose Texas because of how they let their guards go and their fan base. The city of Austin is lit.”

Johnson ranks as the No. 2 combo guard in Calif. and the No. 15 overall player in the 247Sports composite. He joins fellow five-star Ron Holland as the second top-15 recruit for the Longhorns in the 2023 class.

Johnson is a true three-level scorer with a knack for hitting clutch shots. Chris Beard and the staff are ecstatic for Johnson to join the program.

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Five-star point guard set to decide between LSU, several others

Woodland Hills, California, prospect AJ Johnson will announce his commitment Monday. He has visited LSU and Texas.

The Tigers have a pair of basketball commits in the 2023 class in forward [autotag]Corey Chest[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Mike Williams[/autotag], but they will hope to add an elite player to that group.

Five-star point guard [autotag]AJ Johnson[/autotag] is set to announce his decision on Monday at noon CT. Johnson is a 6-foot-5, 170-pound player from Southern California Acadamey in Woodland Hills, California, and he ranks as the No. 14 player on the 247Sports Composite.

On3’s composite rankings list him at No. 16 nationally.

A combo guard who primarily plays the point, Johnson has already taken official visits to Texas and LSU, and he has also received interest from programs such as NC State, Louisville and USC. The Longhorns are currently seen as a heavy favorite, being given a 93.2% chance to land him.

Coach [autotag]Matt McMahon[/autotag] signed the No. 16 recruiting class in the country last cycle. His haul in 2023 currently ranks just 45th, but adding a player like Johnson could certainly change that.

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