Recruitment opening up for Zane Johnson

Thinking he was on the verge of committing to Gonzaga coming into the Kingwood Classic, Zane Johnson of the Arizona Magic AAU club has opened his recruitment wide open after hearing from some heavy hitters following the Kingwood.

"A bunch of other schools have come in now, and I haven't heard from Gonzaga or USC really," said Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing player from Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Ariz. "Arizona, Kentucky and Arizona State have all called since the Kingwood. Vanderbilt is coming in here on Thursday, and I've also talked to UCLA.

"I've always hoped that Kentucky and Arizona would get serious about me. I was also impressed that Coach Sendek came to my school the first day he got to Arizona after taking the Arizona State job. He has been here another time since then."

Although he does not get many touches with Jerryd Bayless and Isaiah Thomas controlling the ball for the Arizona Magic, Johnson was a very efficient scorer and effective player when Rivals.com watched him in action. He knocked down open shots, made sound decisions with the ball and impacted the game with his activity on defense.

Johnson now has four schools at the top of his list, but don't be surprised if more schools enter the fray for Johnson.

"Right now my top four are Arizona, Arizona State, Kentucky and USC," he said. "Then there are a bunch of schools like Vanderbilt and UCLA who are just below these four."

Johnson, who is presently ranked the No. 80 prospect in the class of 2007, will play again with the Arizona Magic at the loaded Cactus Classic May 19-21.

Zane Johnson scouting report:

Johnson is a very good shooter with strong overall skills with the ball. His shooting prowess opens up the rest of his game. He is also a heady and effective defender who has a knack at coming up with the ball even though he is not overly athletic. He is a solid athlete, however, and a very solid overall wing prospect.