2023 PG RJ Johnson commits to the Alabama Crimson Tide
For the first time since early June, Alabama’s men’s basketball program has added a prospect to their 2023 class. Just moments ago, Huntsville (Al.) Grissom point guard RJ Johnson announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide.
Johnson joins top-80 senior prospect Sam Walters as the only other pledge in Alabama’s class.
A couple of weeks ago, Johnson teaming up with the Tide was not necessarily a guarantee. The three-star prospect put the program in his top five the first week of the month, but did not have an offer when he posted that list.
READ: RJ Johnson breaks down commitment with On3’s Joe Tipton
After getting the green light from Nate Oats‘ staff during a visit last week, however, things changed for Johnson. He would go on to delay his previous commitment date of Aug. 22 to today, opting for the in-state school over the Georgia Bulldogs.
Per the 2023 On3 Consensus, Johnson is the No. 197 overall recruit in this cycle regardless of position. The On3 Consensus also labels him as the No. 36 point guard in the country and the second-ranked player in Alabama.
What does new Alabama commit RJ Johnson bring to the table?
RJ Johnson is listed as a point guard on his On3 profile. After watching his tape, however, it became quite apparent that he’s not what you would traditionally expect from a player at the position.
Johnson loves to play above the rim, with his athleticism and wingspan making him an easy target for his teammates to connect with on alley-oops. He is also reliable in the fast break as Johnson can navigate between defenders and rise up for a dunk in transition opportunities.
Watching his highlights, we took notice of Johnson’s ability to power through contact. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, but we think he’s closer to 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4 and 200-plus pounds. Johnson has a big frame and is able to jump in the air, bump into a defender, and finish for the score.
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Johnson is reliable from distance as well as he knocks down three-pointers at an efficient clip. Where he’ll probably have the most success, however, is driving it into the paint and finishing with lay-ups/floaters over smaller defenders that cannot match him physically.
We’re interested to see how Johnson evolves as a passer and what his eventual role will be with Alabama. The combination of his size, reliability as a three-point shooter, and how well he attacks the paint makes him an intriguing combo guard prospect.
Nate Oats and his staff will continue their pursuit of recruits in the 2023 class with Johnson and Walters in the fold. Davin Cosby, Kaden Cooper, and Kris Parker are some of the targets to monitor going forward.
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