Johnson courted by many
UW, national powers pursue Sun Prairie star
MEQUON – When Jalen Johnson eventually has to trim his list of college suitors to a manageable number, he will have his choice of just about any basketball program in America.
Consider some of the schools that have offered a scholarship to the rising junior wing from Sun Prairie:
Duke, North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas, UCLA and West Virginia are among the 24 schools that have extended offers to the 16-year-old who plays for Phenom University on the AAU circuit.
“We just try to keep a sense of normalcy around the house,” Roderick Johnson, Jalen’s father, said during a break at the NY2LA Sports Summer Jam at Homestead High School. “When he is on the basketball court he does his thing and he is having fun out there. We don’t make it a big deal that he is being recruited by all these different schools.
“We want to continue to make it fun for him. As soon as we start making into who is recruiting you…then it becomes more of a business. That’s not what it is about.”
Wisconsin has made the 6-foot-8 Johnson the No. 1 target for the 2020 class and coach Greg Gard and his staff have been visible at Phenom University’s games this spring and summer.
“Right now his recruiting is wideopen,” Roderick Johnson said. “There is no No. 1. There are no top whatevers. At this point, he is just enjoying the process. …It is ultimately Jalen’s decision. And whatever school he does decide to go to is wherever he feels most comfortable.
“Style of play…in my opinion, my son can play any style. He can play an upand-down game. He can play half-court offense. To me, it doesn’t really matter what system he plays in. He will fit in no matter what.”
UW has one commitment for the next two classes – forward Tyler Wahl of Lakeville, Minn., for the ’19 class.
The Badgers have extended offers to several players for the ’19, 20 and ’21 classes.
Racine Park forward Nobal Days was offered early for the ’19 class, but UW has since extended offers to Zeke Nnaji, a 6-10 forward from Hopkins, Minn.; and E.J. Liddell, a 6-7 forward from Belleville, Ill.
UW has five known offers for the ’20 class.
They are: Ben Carlson, a 6-9 forward from St. Paul, Minn; Dawson Garcia, a 6-10 forward from Prior Lake, Minn; Johnny Davis, a 6-4 guard from La Crosse; Ethan Morton, a 6-4 guard from Butler, Pa.; and Zeb Jackson, a 6-2 guard from Maumee, Ohio, for ’20.
Max Christie, a 6-4 guard from Rolling Meadows, Ill., is the first player known to be offered by UW for the ’21 class. UW is among more than a dozen schools interested in 6-8 forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., who plays at Sussex Hamilton High School, plays with Johnson on the AAU circuit and is the son of UW-Milwaukee head coach Patrick Baldwin.
Nnaji, who plays with Wahl for D1 Minnesota on the AAU circuit, was a relatively unknown prospect when UW extended an offer last September. An improved game led to scholarship offers from Xavier, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, UCLA, Arizona and others this past spring.
Nnaji has taken an unofficial visit to UW and the Badgers should be in the mix for an official visit later this summer.
Liddell has offers from nearly a dozen Power Five programs, including five Big Ten schools.
Christie already has been to Madison. He earned an offer with his play at UW’s camp in June.
Johnson has been UW’s No. 1 target for 2020 since his freshman season.
He remains an inconsistent shooter from the perimeter but is devastating in transition. His length causes issues for foes on both ends of the court and his selflessness and vision make him a dangerous passer.
Some of Johnson’s best plays during the Summer Jam were passes to open teammates, both in half-court sets and in transition.
“He loves it,” Roderick Johnson said. “If you watch Jalen play, watch his eyes. He is not thinking score, score, score.
“He is thinking: ‘Where can I find the open man? Who is going to slip so I can get him the (ball)? Who is running the floor so I can get him the ball? He is looking to get his teammates involved.
“I think that is what separates him from a lot of other people. If you’re a shooter, Jalen is going to be your best friend because he is looking for you every time.”