Stanley Johnson, one of the top small forwards in the Class of 2014, is planning visits to Pac-12 schools Arizona and Oregon.
“August 6 I’m taking a visit to Arizona and then hopefully I’ll make it to Oregon,” the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Johnson said from the U.S. U17 practices in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“After that I hope I can get in to [see] other schools later in the year.”
When college coaches were first permitted to contact recruits last Friday, Johnson heard first from San Diego State, followed by several others.
“San Diego State was the first one, they offered,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of phone calls and text messages. I’ve had a lot of calls from Colorado, I’ve had a lot of calls form Arizona, calls from Syracuse and different things. They’re calling me and stuff but I gotta really see [the schools] when I visit.”
Still, Arizona figures to be in the mix for Johnson, who attends Mater Dei High School and runs with the Oakland Soldiers AAU program.
“Coach Sean Miller’s a great guy,” Johnson said. “He’s one of those guys that when the first time I talked to him, I felt like he was sincere, he was a good person, straightforward. He wasn’t gonna give it the runaround.
“That’s really an upside for me and my parents. Arizona’s been a great school. They’re close to home, so that’s really the positive about them.”
Still, Johnson has plenty of time to decide and says he remains open.
“USC’s really involved,” he said. “I want to give every school a chance to get involved and an opportunity to every school.”
For now, he’s excited about playing with Team USA on a U17 team that also features Jabari Parker, Dakari Johnson, Tyus Jones, Beejay Anya and others.
“It’s the ultimate goal for me as a player to represent the USA,” Johnson said. “All the other teams are cool but my favorite team is representing my country. I’m playing with all good plaeyrs and it’s a family out here so it’s great.
“I’m hoping I make it [to the Olympic team] when I’m older.”
