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.
ESPN Reporting with @DraftExpress: California high school guard AJ Johnson – a projected 2024 NBA Draft lottery pick – has decommitted from Texas and signed a deal with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL: https://t.co/vGwl3hgj0o
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 13, 2023
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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