Johnson is going west

Noel Johnson will pack his bags and go West after his career at Fayette County (Ga.) is over.

The 6-foot-7 senior is headed to Southern Cal. Johnson exclusively told Rivals.com on Monday night that he felt like the Trojans were the best fit for him both athletically and academically.

"Coach Floyd and coach Cantu and the rest of the staff are all good guys at USC," Johnson said. "I really enjoyed the visit when I went there. I like the whole environment out there."

The four-star wing was part of the historic recruiting weekend two weekends ago at USC when the football team dismantled Ohio State in the most anticipated gridiron game of the year. He was one of the dozen nationally-ranked players on campus. Johnson said the visit played a big part in his decision.

"The environment out there is great. I got along with everyone out there," Johnson said. "All of the players and formal players were out there. It was good to see all of that."

Johnson is the second player to commit to the Trojans in the class of 2009. He joins Rivals150 guard Demetrius Walker. Johnson said he is ready to play for Floyd and face the challenge of playing in the Pac-10.

"I'm definitely excited about getting out there. We have a big rivalry with UCLA and the whole Pac-10 is great. I'm just getting ready for that," Johnson said. "I think we can be one of the top five teams in the Pac-10 and have a national ranking. I'm trying to show the people around the world that USC can play basketball as well as football. I'm ready for it all."

Outside of basketball, Johnson said he found a perfect fit for him in the classroom, too.

"We had a meeting with the athletic director Mike Garrett and he was stressing to us how important the education part of things at USC was. You just can't be an athlete out there. You have to really be a student athlete," Johnson said. "That was important to me and my family. He told me that there will be a lot of pressure on and off the court and he told me I'd have to get it done on and off the court."

Johnson will officially announce his decision on Tuesday morning at Fayette County High School.