4-Star PG Johnson to announce choice at 3:30 on Friday

By Jerry Ratcliffe

What school will win the London Johnson sweepstakes on Friday afternoon – Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Clemson, Southern Cal or Georgia?

There haven’t been any leaks from those close to the 6-foot-4 point guard from Norcross, Ga., ahead of his live announcement Friday on CBSSportsHQ at 3:30 p.m. Johnson, now a 4-star (he was previously a 5-star before Rivals reduced his ranking), is ranked the No. 30 overall prospect in the country for the Class of ‘23, although there has been discussion about him reclassifying to the Class of ‘22.

Johnson led Norcross to a state title this month, putting up 27 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals in the championship game. However, he has only lived in Norcross since July of 2020, having moved there from Charlotte.

While Johnson hasn’t talked his recruitment with anyone lately, here’s how he sized up what we believe are his top three with Phenomhoopreport.com:

VIRGINIA: “Coach Bennett and the Virginia coaching staff have been amazing. They were very detail-oriented in pointing out the pros and cons to how I can improve my overall game. Specifically, in the pick-and-roll, as I’m making reads. Coach Bennett emphasizes that my shooting ability sets me apart from the other players in my class. In addition to the fact that I am a two-way player and can defend at a high level as well.”

NORTH CAROLINA: “Having grown up in Carolina, an offer from UNC was very special. Coach Davis, Coach May and Coach Frederick have all been very supportive. Specifically connecting with Coach Davis was cool. He is very easy to talk to and loves to laugh. You can tell he really loves Carolina. The staff came out to see me multiple times and really like the value that I can add to their program as a playmaker.”

ALABAMA: “I’ve visited Alabama three times over the past six months. They are special because of the deep connection with the coaching staff and my trainer. He introduced me to Coach Pettway and immediately we hit it off. Coach Pettway has a deep love of Alabama. As an alum, he’s set what can be considered the golden standard for players that come through the program. Coach Oates was great.”