HAMPTON, Va. – Placing himself among the top scorers in the Nike EYBL throughout the first session of play, Keldon Johnson would be a leading candidate for MVP on the circuit. Leading his team to a 4-0 record, Johnson has established himself as a top scorer and has already brought in additional offers from NC State and UConn.
Knocking in more than half of his shots from the field while averaging better than 25 points during his four-game session, Johnson sits among the top five of scorers on the Nike circuit. Corralling over nine rebounds per game, the 6-foot-5 small forward is a versatile prospect that has seen a group of three begin to stand out.
“The schools I talk to the most right now would be Texas, Arizona and Maryland, but the most would have to be Texas,” Johnson said.
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IN HIS WORDS
Texas: “They talk to me a lot. Almost three or four times a week. They are texting me and stuff like that. ... Me and Shaka (Smart), we talk a lot. We have a great relationship. It started when they offered me back in the ninth grade and it has been pretty consistent ever since then.”
Oregon: “They are a really good school. They develop their wings really well.”
Maryland: “It is a great school. Coach (Kevin) Broadus, he is a great coach. Mark Turgeon is a great coach, leads a great program; it is just great all of the way around.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Johnson will finish his final year of travel ball running with the Boo Williams Summer League program. Expect for him to be among the best in scoring on the Nike circuit but a college commitment is likely to remain on the backburner.
RIVALS’ REACTION
Johnson is one of the more potent scorers as he clearly backed that up this past weekend in Hampton. A 6-foot-5 wing that brings an edge to the floor, expect for Texas to remain in the driver’s seat throughout the remaining portion of his college recruitment.
Smart has not laid off the gas pedal in his pursuit of Johnson, dating back to his days as the head coach at VCU. However, Maryland may be the darkhorse thanks to the recent hiring of Broadus, the former assistant at Georgetown that recruited his brother, Kaleb Johnson, to the Hilltop.
