Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Findlay Prep guard Nick Johnson verbally committed to Arizona after an unofficial visit Wednesday.
“I just felt like it was the right pick for me,” Johnson said by text. “I had the best relationship with the coaches there. And I feel with the players and staff there they can develop me the best and get me to the NBA.”
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Johnson also considered Arizona State, Louisville and Kansas.
An Arizona native, Johnson averaged 14.2 points and 3.6 assists last year at Findlay, which won its second straight ESPN Rise National High School Invitational. He is ranked the No. 13 shooting guard in the Class of 2011, but can play both guard positions well.
“He’s super athletic,” Findlay Prep coach Michael Peck said. “One thing I think people don’t know is he he has a very high basketball IQ. He’s a very intelligent player who understands very quickly. You don’t have to spell things out. He understands nuances and has a good feel for the game. I think that’s gonna help him make the transition easily.”
This summer he led the Drew Gooden Soldiers to wins at the Fab 48 tournament in Las Vegas and at the Pumps event in Anaheim, Calif.
Wherever Johnson and the Soldiers went last month, a slew of high-profile head coaches followed.
Johnson’s father, Joey, played at Arizona State. His uncle was the late Dennis Johnson, who played for the Boston Celtics, among other teams.
Arizona, which already has 6-9 Harlem native Sidiki Johnson in the fold, has two scholarships left and is targeting Quinn Cook, Amir Williams, Josiah Turner and Norvel Pelle.HARKLESS SETS UNOFFICIALSMaurice Harkless, a 6-8 wing from Queens, will visit St. Johns (Sept. 2), Rutgers (Sept. 4) and Maryland (Sept. 5) unofficially.
He will then take an official to Oregon Sept. 17.
Harkless opted to switch his first official to Oregon from Maryland.
He is also considering Florida State, Florida, Cincinnati and Arizona.
(Photo courtesy Tucson Citizen)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Findlay Prep guard Nick Johnson verbally committed to Arizona after an unofficial visit Wednesday.
“I just felt like it was the right pick for me,” Johnson said by text. “I had the best relationship with the coaches there. And I feel with the players and staff there they can develop me the best and get me to the NBA.”
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Johnson also considered Arizona State, Louisville and Kansas.
An Arizona native, Johnson averaged 14.2 points and 3.6 assists last year at Findlay, which won its second straight ESPN Rise National High School Invitational. He is ranked the No. 13 shooting guard in the Class of 2011, but can play both guard positions well.
“He’s super athletic,” Findlay Prep coach Michael Peck said. “One thing I think people don’t know is he he has a very high basketball IQ. He’s a very intelligent player who understands very quickly. You don’t have to spell things out. He understands nuances and has a good feel for the game. I think that’s gonna help him make the transition easily.”
This summer he led the Drew Gooden Soldiers to wins at the Fab 48 tournament in Las Vegas and at the Pumps event in Anaheim, Calif.
Wherever Johnson and the Soldiers went last month, a slew of high-profile head coaches followed.
Johnson’s father, Joey, played at Arizona State. His uncle was the late Dennis Johnson, who played for the Boston Celtics, among other teams.
Arizona, which already has 6-9 Harlem native Sidiki Johnson in the fold, has two scholarships left and is targeting Quinn Cook, Amir Williams, Josiah Turner and Norvel Pelle.
HARKLESS SETS UNOFFICIALS
Maurice Harkless, a 6-8 wing from Queens, will visit St. Johns (Sept. 2), Rutgers (Sept. 4) and Maryland (Sept. 5) unofficially.
He will then take an official to Oregon Sept. 17.
Harkless opted to switch his first official to Oregon from Maryland.
He is also considering Florida State, Florida, Cincinnati and Arizona.
(Photo courtesy Tucson Citizen)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter.
