Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley continues to build his 2014 recruiting class.
On Sunday, Buffalo landed a pledge from 6-foot-9, 250-pound junior college big man Raheem Johnson of Barton County (KS) College.
Johnson also had interest from Texas Tech and Wichita State, among others. He will have two years of Division 1 eligibility remaining.
“What made me pick Buffalo was the trust my high school coach and I had with Bobby Hurley and the coaching staff,” Johnson told SNY.tv. “They said they were going to develop me as a basketball player and help me graduate with a degree.”
Johnson, who is playing just his third year of organized basketball, joins top 150 point guard Lamonte Bearden and shooting guard Mory Diane in Buffalo’s 2014 class.
“He can be an elite defender,” Barton assistant Matt Hundley told SNY.tv “He’s going to finish in the top 20 in blocks in the JUCO ranks. He can run the floor really well and finish in transition which is difficult for a lot of bigs to do.
“In the halfcourt we do a lot of pick-and-roll, he’s good at tip dunks and those type of things. He’s got an improving face-up game. He needs to work on stuff in the low post and has a pretty good feel on how to play. I think he’ll be able to step in right away and play.”