5-star AJ Johnson recaps visits; talks commitment time frame
It was at the Pangos All-American Camp this year that AJ Johnson jumped to five-star status. The 6-foot-5 point guard showcased a lengthy frame and elite-type speed that most simply do not possess. While On3 was the first to put Johnson inside the top 15, the industry has followed suit, as he is now the 2023 On3 Consensus No. 15 player.
I make plays,” Johnson told On3. “I just try to get everything going, either making a play for myself or making a play for somebody else. That’s the most important part to me. My confidence has grown a lot over the summer, and I have gotten stronger. My athleticism also kicked in, so that helps a lot too. I watch a lot of LaMelo Ball and how he plays so freely and lets the game come to him.”
While the five-star has set five senior year official visits, two have been canceled. On3 sat down with AJ Johnson at the recent USA Basketball minicamp to talk about his visits and upcoming decision.
“I’ve already visited LSU and Texas,” Johnson said. “I got Louisville coming up, and NC State and I are still talking; I’m trying to stick to them still.”
Johnson talks visits
LSU: I like their offense. I didn’t know it was that good. I know he used to coach at Murray State, and he used to coach and developed Ja Morant. So I saw how they played there, but their offense is pretty good.
“The love that they’re giving me stands out. It feels like they really want me. It feels like there could be somewhere that could just be home, you know?”
Texas: “I just knew about Texas my whole life. Like Kevin Durant went there, they have had so many pros that went there. Their NIL is crazy right now, like just their marketing of players and everything. Texas is such a big school.
“When I visited, I saw I like their offense for sure. I lived out about their, their stuff too. I saw they didn’t really run that much practice. They have one little thing they do once a month where they do a little running drill up and down, and they got to make it in a certain amount of time, then they’re done. So I didn’t know that they just play a lot.”
Johnson talks upcoming visits
Louisville: “It’s Kenny Payne, really, and the whole staff. When they got the new staff, they didn’t really offer a lot of guards in my class. They ended up offering me, that meant something.
“I watched a lot of their play style last year, I know it’s going to be different with new coaches, but I saw how those old coaches played, and I liked it. I could see myself playing more at Louisville, early on. I want to go to Louisville Live.”
NC State: “I should still be taking a visit to NC State, but I need to get that time frame locked down because I have to take it off.
“It’s their coach, for me. I have had a lot of great conversations with him, and it seems like he has my best interest. He wants to be coming in and make an impact right away.”
“I think I’m trying to fit in a couple more visits to schools I want to see more of,” AJ Johnson said. “There are a couple of schools that just started coming in, like Alabama, Gonzaga, and Arkansas, I want to see more.”
Johnson’s take
“I want to see all the schools play before I commit,” Johnson said. “So I don’t plan on signing during the early period.”
I want to go to a school where I could just see myself being there like every single day. Like waking up there, practicing there, just a place where I can see myself being there. I’ll look at the style of play, I want to play freely. I want to go to a school where I can develop and be the best person and player I can be.
“Of course, NIL will play a factor, but it’s not the biggest thing. I want to develop to be able to get to my main goal, playing in the league.”
Scouting report
AJ Johnson is a jet-fast point guard with elite end-to-end speed. He has great length and good size as a lead guard. Johnson will need to add weight; he is very skinny at this point. But his burst and explosion get him to his spots. Johnson is decisive in getting downhill, using his dribble to attack the paint. Johnson has upside on defense with his length and quick twitch. The pull-up jump shot is a weapon in the mid-range. He is an above-average shooter that could continue to tighten. His natural tools are impressive, and as he continues to add weight, his ceiling is as high as any player in the 2023 class.