Dior Johnson, the No. 1 ranked point guard in the 2022 cycle, was previously considered a lock to go straight from high school to a professional league. Instead, he’ll forego professional ball to play in college (for now, at least).
Johnson announced on Tuesday he’s heading to Eugene to play for Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks. He highlighted his relationship with Altman and the Oregon staff in an interview with ESPN.
“I decided to commit to Oregon because of the great relationships I have built with the coaching staff,” Johnson said, via ESPN.com. “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.”
If Johnson holds true to his commitment to the Ducks, he’ll be the second-highest rated commit to ever play for Oregon. He’ll trail only Bol Bol, who joined the Ducks in 2018 as the No. 4 overall player in his cycle.
Breaking: Five-star recruit Dior Johnson, one of the top NBA prospects in the 2022 high school class, has committed to Oregon, he told ESPN. https://t.co/GnYlqyIzXy
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 22, 2021
For those unfamiliar with his skill-set, Dior Johnson is an electric play-maker with excellent length at the point guard position. He’s a superb finisher at the rim and distributor in the post.
Take a look at a few of his high school highlights in the video below.
Highlights of Dior Johnson from this past spring (courtesy of @SLAMonline and @TheCircuit) showcasing his impressive combination of ball-handling, change of pace, passing and overall scoring prowess. pic.twitter.com/iHDFhmgnQh
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 22, 2021
If Dior Johnson sticks to his commitment to the Ducks, it’ll be a good sign for college basketball in regards to athlete compensation.
Johnson could’ve made serious money taking his talents to professional basketball. Instead, he’s going to Oregon where he could potentially make massive earnings off his NIL in coming years (if the NCAA makes changes it’s expected to eventually make).
Johnson’s commitment to Oregon is a good sign for college hoops as a whole.
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