Ranking the Contenders: Ty-Laur Johnson
Point guard Ty-Laur Johnson, the No. 54 player in the 2023 class, has been seen as extremely close to a commitment for weeks. Things seem to have stalled a bit when it comes to an announcement, however.
Johnson has named a final three of Mississippi State, Memphis and NC State, but a pecking order seems to have emerged. Below, Rivals recruiting director Rob Cassidy ranks the contenders in order of how likely each is to land Johnson’s impending pledge.
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MEMPHIS
The slight leader in the clubhouse, Memphis started pressing for Johnson’s commitment in the immediate aftermath of his visit to NC State and got the New Jersey-based guard on its own campus for a surprise visit of sorts the following weekend. From there, things moved quickly, as Penny Hardaway’s pitch was obviously appealing to Johnson, who slammed the brakes on a recruitment that seemed to be coming to a close.
Johnson remains relatively quiet about his plans, which could mean all manner of things. That said, the longer Johnson’s recruitment drags on, the more worried Tigers fans will become, as a commitment seemed imminent in the days following his official. Memphis still feels like the frontrunner, but the gap between the Tigers and NC State isn’t as large as it seemed to be in the days after Johnson returned from campus.
Keep in mind that new Memphis assistant, Andy Borman, is the former executive director of Johnson’s NY Rens grassroots team, and that certainly helps the Tigers’ chances.
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NC STATE
The Wolfpack briefly looked like the frontrunners to land Johnson following his Oct. 8 official visit. In fact, sources indicate he very nearly committed to head coach Kevin Keatts on the trip. Memphis dialed up its pressure in the immediate aftermath, however, and has looked to hold a slight lead since.
Still, Johnson was obviously impressed with his time in Raleigh, so it’s impossible to write NC State off as a threat. The Wolfpack seem to be running in a close second here and are the only real threat to the Tigers when it comes to landing the talented point guard. The allure of NC State seems to be the fact that Johnson sees himself as a fit for an offense that won't put many restrictions on him as the primary ball-handler.
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MISSISSIPPI STATE
It would be a shocker if Mississippi State pulled off the upset, but Johnson has listed the Bulldogs as part of his final list, making it impossible to completely eliminate them as an option. Johnson has toyed with the idea of an official visit to Starkville, but that trip seems to be on hold at least for the time being.
If first-year head coach Chris Jans can get the four-star guard on campus in the near future, he gives himself a chance. If not, it’s probably safe to eliminate the Bulldogs from the conversation completely.