By JACOB POLACHECK
It wasn’t too long ago that Chris Johnson was an eighth grader, with his attention more captivated by football rather than basketball.
Yet, just a few years later, Johnson is considered one of the top guard prospects in the state of Texas with his sights set on rising in the rankings this summer.
At 6-foot-5, 180-pounds, Johnson has a varied skillset, allowing him to distribute for teammates, while also getting a bucket at will.
“I want to show that I can be a point guard,” he said. “Bringing the ball up the court, distributing to my teammates and being an all-around player.”
Johnson’s stellar playmaking abilities have started to capture the attention of colleges across the nation, holding offers from Houston, Texas A&M, TCU, Prairie View, LSU, Creighton and New Mexico.
He broke down each school:
Houston: “I love Houston. They really love me and they love guards from our city. I really do love that coaching staff, both the Sampsons [Kelvin and Kellen]. I’ve been building a really good relationship with them.”
Texas A&M: “My mom went to A&M, so they’re going to have a push too. I really like their coaching staff with coach Lyle Wolf. I really like them.”
TCU: “They’re cool. I really haven’t talked a lot with them, but I really like their basketball program.”
Texas Southern: “They’re good. I like coach Johnny [Jones]. He stays in touch with me and my family a lot. We have a good relationship.”
Prairie View: “A lot of my family members go up there. We stay in touch.”
LSU: “I like LSU a lot. I like coach Will Wade. I like all those guys over there. We stay in touch.”
Creighton: “I really do like their basketball program and how their system is run over there. They have a good coaching staff.”
New Mexico: “They’re good. I really haven’t talked a lot with their coaching staff, but we’ve talked a few times. I really do respect their program and I like their coaching staff.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 11 shooting guard and No. 73 overall prospect in the class of 2023, the Elkins (TX) guard is also receiving interest from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Utah and Coastal Bend.
With his recruitment fully underway and college coaches vying for his commitment, Johnson has started to look at planning some visits.
“I don’t have the official dates right now,” he said. “The coaches said they’re going to get back with me. They’ll let me know what dates I can come, but I know I’m going to have visits to Houston, LSU and Memphis.”
Although Memphis is yet to offer, Johnson has remained in contact with head coach Penny Hardaway and assistant coach Cody Toppert.
“They want me to be in their program,” Johnson said. “I really do have a lot of respect for their program, coach Penny and what they’re doing with their whole coaching staff, how they run their organization.”
Although Johnson is a far way from making his college decision, he is closely evalauting each school and his potential fit.
“I’m watching games, looking at the systems they run,” he said. “Which system would I fit in and which coach would be the best coach to coach me?”
Photo: Marcus Sloan
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