In the last two weeks, Chris Johnson has celebrated his 18th birthday, led the Houston Defenders to the Under Armour Association title and went on “the best” official visit of his recruitment process to Kansas.
Johnson, one of the top combo guards in the 2023 class, kept the streak of highs rolling Tuesday his commitment to Kansas.
Johnson wrote an exclusive blog with Sports Illustrated breaking down his thought process behind the decision.
“I’m officially committed to Kansas, and I can’t tell you how happy I am about it,” Johnson wrote in his blog. “When I went on my visit last week it was literally a family. ... The visit was 10 out of 10.”
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Johnson picked the reigning national champions over Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Kentucky and Auburn had just begun to up their interest in the 6’3” guard in mid-July, right around the time Johnson scored a game-high 18 points to claim the UAA title.
Johnson thrives downhill but has improved his perimeter jump shot to make himself a more complete guard and a more versatile scorer. A feisty defender, Johnson uses his length, athleticism and strength to impact the glass and apply stifling defensive pressure on the perimeter.
“What I really loved about Kansas is that they really let their guards hoop,” Johnson wrote in his SI blog. “They like guards who can guard 1–4, and that’s me all day. They want me to go out there and be myself.”
Johnson is Bill Self’s first commitment from the 2023 class.
