Tag: Dior Johnson

5-star Oregon recruits Dior Johnson, Kel’el Ware to participate in Allen Iverson Classic

Future Oregon Ducks Kel’el Ware and Dior Johnson are set to participate in the Iverson Classic, a showcase game for top high school players.

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On April 30, two-dozen of the biggest high school basketball stars will gather in Memphis to participate in the Iverson Classic – a prominent showcase event put together by NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.

A pair of players from Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class are set to participate in the event – guard Dior Johnson and center Kel’el Ware.

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Johnson (4) and Ware (10) are both five-star recruits rated inside the top 10 in their class according to 247Sports, giving Dana Altman some incredible reinforcements as soon as next season.

Johnson has drawn comparisons to Sacramento’s De’Aron Fox for his instincts, athleticism, and finishing ability around the rim. He committed to Oregon out of Southern California, fending off offers from big-name schools like Syracuse, Arizona State, and Alabama.

Ware is from Little Rock, Arkansas and was wooed heavily by Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Kansas, Memphis, and many others before deciding to head to Eugene.

While Johnson and Ware will be teammates for at least one season starting next year, they will be facing each other in the Iverson Classic – with Johnson on Team Loyalty against Ware and the rest of Team Honor.

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Southern California Academy is Dior Johnson’s 10th high school

Dior Johnson recently transferred to Southern California Academy — his 10th high school.

Five-star class of 2022 point guard Dion Johnson is what one would call a high school basketball nomad.

The uberly talented Oregon commit recently announced his intention to transfer to Southern California Academy in Los Angeles. Transfers are commonplace in high school basketball and nobody knows that better than Johnson, as Southern California Academy is his 10th stop on the high school circuit.

That’s right. 10 different high schools in less than four years.

Johnson started in his native New York at Saugerties, where he played for its varsity team as a middle schooler and scored 1,000 points before ever taking a high school class. Johnson enrolled at national powerhouse IMG Academy for his freshman year before returning to Saugerties, only to wind up at Findlay Prep in Nevada by the end of the year.

Johnson’s next move was facilitated by the unexpected end of Findlay Prep’s basketball program. He landed in Phoenix to play for Hillcrest Prep, but reversed course a couple of weeks later and made his way to Fairfax — his first of many stops in California.

Johnson never played a minute at Fairfax. Instead, he wound up at Mayfair in Lakewood, Calif., and dominated as a sophomore playing alongside five-star recruit Josh Christopher, who went on to play at Arizona State. Johnson transferred to Oak Hill Academy after his sophomore season, but wound up back in California at Centennial in Corona for his junior year.

Johnson made an instant impact at Centennial, helping his team go 21-2 and win a state title. That was the only season Johnson would play at Centennial, though, as he wound up transferring to Prolific Prep before landing at Southern California Academy.

There’s still plenty of time left in the scholastic year and basketball season is still in its infant stages, so there’s always a chance Johnson makes it 11 high schools before graduating. Either way, his high school basketball journey has been unlike any other of a recruit of his caliber.

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‘Aspirations of moving on;’ Dana Altman plans to only have 5-star PG Dior Johnson for a year

Dior Johnson is one of the top PG prospects in the nation, which leads Dana Altman to believe his stay in Eugene will be short-lived before a leap to the NBA.

The Oregon Ducks have avoided the “one-and-done” trend in college basketball for much of the past decade, but that might not be the case for much longer.

Earlier this week, Dana Altman and his team signed another impressive recruiting class, inking 5-star PG Dior Johnson, 5-star C Ke’el Ware, and top JUCO prospect Tyrone Williams. All three project to be major pieces on the roster going forward, but we might have to question how long they will stick around.

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This is particularly the case with Johnson, who comes to Eugene as arguably the No. 1 PG prospect in the nation. He had big-money offers to play in the G-League or overseas rather than going to college, but he chose instead to come to Oregon.

“Dior Johnson is really quick, really can push the ball,” Altman said on Friday. “He’s probably only going to be with us for a year because he’s got aspirations of moving on pretty quickly, but that’s the game. That’s where we’re at, and if he has a great year, I hope he does.”

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With players across the country habitually only making a pit-stop at the college level now before taking their shot at the NBA, it comes as no surprise that a one-and-done player finally made his way to Eugene. After the massive boost that recruiting has seen under Altman and Coach Crutchfield, the Ducks’ lead recruiter, the talent level has risen to a point where NBA prospects are no longer few and far between.

That’s one of the downsides of recruiting at a high level. While it is great to have these players come to Eugene and pursue an NCAA Championship, we have to understand that the stay may be short-lived.

That trend may start with Johnson. You could argue it isn’t even close to a bad thing. What else are you going to do, recruit lesser players in the hopes that they stay more a year or two more?

No, instead you should embrace the trend and try to catch lightning in a bottle, getting the most from these incredibly talented players while you can before they move on. In a perfect world, hopefully championships will come with it.

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WATCH: Ducks’ 5-star commit Dior Johnson puts on a passing clinic in latest highlight reel

Our attention is currently on Ducks’ football and basketball teams, but take the time to check out highlights from Oregon 5-star commit Dior Johnson. You won’t be sorry.

While the attention of many Oregon Duck fans is already spread thin between the highly-exciting football season, and now the start of both the men’s and women’s basketball seasons, it may be tough to give too much attention to future prospects that are set to come into the program over the next year.

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You should probably take a second to check out what 5-star Ducks commit Dior Johnson is doing in his final year of high school basketball, though. It will surely get your anticipation for his Oregon career to levels we haven’t yet seen. He looks like something truly special.

Johnson is a 6-foot-3 floor general who is rated as the No. 1 point guard prospect in the nation, and the No. 13 player overall. He is in his final season with Prolific Prep in Napa, California.

While the current Oregon roster is filled with offensive scorers and players who can get their own shot, it’s encouraging to see a true PG on the horizon who is quick to distribute the ball and find his teammates in open spots on the floor. On top of that, Johnson has shown a prolific ability to pull up and find the bottom of the net with ease.

It will be a while until we get to really start thinking about Johnson on this roster, but while Oregon fans’ focus is on the current, you can rest assured that the future is in great hands. Dior has the mold of being a really special player, and he’s going to start what is likely to be an impressive career right here in Eugene.

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Oregon Ducks land 5-star point guard Dior Johnson, No. 3 guard in the nation

Dana Altman landed 5-star point guard, Dior Johnson, the No. 3 PG and No. 15 ranked overall player in the class of 2022.

QUACK QUACK!

The Oregon Ducks landed one of the best basketball recruits in the nation, with 5-star point guard Dior Johnson committing to the Ducks and joining Dana Altman in Eugene.

Johnson is the No. 3 point guard recruit in the 2022 class, and the No. 15 ranked player overall.

“I decided to commit to Oregon because of the great relationships I have built with the coaching staff,” Johnson said, via ESPN. “Coach Crutchfield and Coach Altman welcomed me with open arms from day one. We were able to get on the same page quickly as they have built a great plan for me to succeed.”

Johnson is the first player committed to Oregon in the 2022 class and one of only a handful of five-star recruits to select a college at this stage.

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Top 2022 PG Dior Johnson commits to Oregon

Dior Johnson surprisingly committed to the Pac 12 powerhouse on Tuesday afternoon.

After months of speculation that Dior Johnson, the top point guard in the class of 2022, would snub college basketball in favor of playing professionally straight out of high school, the California native offered his college commitment on Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson surprisingly committed to Oregon over a group of finalists consisting of Alabama, Kentucky and Washington. Johnson was also thought to be heavily considering an offer from the New Zealand Basketball League, which has landed top recruits such as RJ Hampton in the past. He was originally slated to announce his commitment this Friday.

According to Tipton Edits, Johnson’s estimated offer from the NBL is expected to be worth a whopping $1.2 million.

RELATED: Prized 2022 recruit Dior Johnson’s offer from NBL reportedly over $1 million

Johnson was originally committed to Syracuse, but backed off his commitment to the Orange in November. Once Johnson decommitted from Jim Boeheim’s program, many expected him to opt for the professional route. Now, he will suit up for Dana Altman and the Ducks.

“Good length and stature for a point guard,” 247Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer said in his scouting report of Johnson. “Quick athlete with superb body control. Has tremendous instincts as a driver and passer. Delivers the difficult pass. Finishes the difficult shot. High-level lay-up maker. Has multiple fade-away moves to his right shoulder.

“Shoots the ball well enough to be considered a three-level scorer. Has the potential to rebound his position well and be a dangerous versatile defender. Has bounced around to multiple high schools, which some view as a yellow flag.”

Prized 2022 recruit Dior Johnson’s offer from NBL reportedly over $1 million

Prized 2022 recruit Dior Johnson has reportedly received an offer to play in the NBL worth over $1 million.

Dior Johnson, the No. 3 high school basketball recruit in the class of 2022 according to 247Sports, is nearing a decision.

The California native is slated to pick between Alabama, Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and the National Basketball League on Friday — the latter of which has come on strong with a lucrative offer for the 17-year-old point guard. According to Tipton Edits, Johnson’s estimated offer from the NBL is expected to be worth a whopping $1.2 million.

Johnson was originally committed to Syracuse, but backed off his commitment to the Orange in November. Once Johnson decommitted from Jim Boeheim’s program, many expected him to opt for the professional route and it looks like that is becoming his most likely choice ahead of his decision date.

“Good length and stature for a point guard,” 247Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer said in his scouting report of Johnson. “Quick athlete with superb body control. Has tremendous instincts as a driver and passer. Delivers the difficult pass. Finishes the difficult shot. High-level lay-up maker. Has multiple fade-away moves to his right shoulder.

“Shoots the ball well enough to be considered a three-level scorer. Has the potential to rebound his position well and be a dangerous versatile defender. Has bounced around to multiple high schools, which some view as a yellow flag.”

If Johnson does wind up picking playing in the NBL over playing college basketball, he would not be the first high-profile recruit to do so. The NBL lured RJ Hampton away from the states recently and LaMelo Ball also suited up for the NBL after a stint playing overseas in Lithuania, where he exhausted his amateur eligibility.

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