LSU makes final six schools for five-star ZaKiyah Johnson
ZaKiyah Johnson is one of just four five-star prospects on On3’s inaugural women’s basketball recruiting rankings and on Wednesday afternoon she announced the final six teams in her recruitment. The list includes South Carolina, LSU, Louisville, Kentucky, Notre Dame, and USC. Johnson is a 6-foot guard who averaged 22.5 points and eight rebounds, ending with a 36-3 record and winning the Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year.
The Tigers have been recruiting Johnson for years and in June she set an official visit for LSU for Sept. 6-8, two months earlier than the originally scheduled date in early November. LSU looked to move it up significantly in the fall for the No. 4 player in the country. Here’s what Johnson told On3’s Talia Goodman about LSU.
“I’m definitely really close with all the staff there. They’re really energetic and I like that. I’m an energetic person too – I’m very social – so I think we click there. The fact that we can have long conversations is good for me.”
More details on Johnson
Out of Shelbyville, Kentucky, Johnson is a fascinating prospect who continues to rise in recruiting rankings entering her senior year.
“I’m versatile,” Johnson told On3. “Whether it’s playing or being a leader, I can lead in different ways – whether it’s vocal or on the court itself. On the court, I can be anywhere I need to be, but being more vocal is something I’ve really worked on… I kind of just let my game talk for me, but now that I have these younger girls, just speaking up and making sure they understand how they should. I really think it’ll help me when I go to the next level.”
She has already taken unofficial visits to Louisville and Kentucky – both schools that are less than an hour away from her hometown. She’ll schedule official visits for each of the remaining four schools this fall.
“I’m looking for diversity on a campus, just so I can branch out and meet new people,” Johnson told On3. “I also really pay attention to dorms and dorm living. Then it’s just looking at the team, kind of reading them and seeing how their relationships are. Are they close or is it kind of fake? I look for little things. The majority of [these schools] are in the city area, so that’s really what I like. NIL also plays a big part in it.”
In addition to the LSU visit, Johnson will visit in-state Kentucky this Friday. She’s working on scheduling the remaining visits but plans on taking an official visit to Louisville last.
Stay tuned to the Bengal Tiger for the latest women’s basketball recruiting news on Kim Mulkey’s program at LSU.
