Recruiting Report: Darius Johnson (2021)
Darius Johnson was responsible for perhaps the most impressive performance of the young season against Middleburg at the Flint Hill Tip-Off. The 2021 lead guard prospect, who pumped in 46 points that night, put on a show for those in attendance with his long-range shooting and acrobatic finishes around the rim. Despite the loss that night, Johnson played with toughness and looked to make those around him better.
“I think I’m becoming a better leader for my team,” Johnson told Prep Hoops after the game. “The scoring is going to come because I always put the work in. The biggest part is getting my team involved and leading them to wins.”
Nowadays at the highest level, size is becoming an increasingly important attribute for point guards. Johnson may be listed at 6-foot-1, but he navigates his way through the paint as if he was 6-foot-4. He embraces contact at the rim but also has the presence of mind to know where the outlet is when the defense collapses.
Johnson has also showed the ability to get downhill and finish in traffic. He scored 11 of his teams 17 first quarter points pic.twitter.com/3HXRWLn2co
— Adam Ayalew (@AyalewAdam) November 16, 2019
“I’m working on my pull-up. That’s my biggest thing right now,” he stated. “Because in college, the layups aren’t always going to be there for me with 7 footers in the lane so I have to work on my pull-up.”
Virginia Tech, George Mason, St. Joe’s, UCF, and VCU are the schools Johnson said currently stand out in his recruitment. Don’t be surprised if more high major programs begin pursuing him soon.
What are his goals?
“Individually, my goals are to average around 25 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds per game. My team goals are to win states and the conference championship.”
Darius Johnson is currently ranked by Prep Hoops as a top-5 prospect in his class. To view the full ranking of Virginia’s 2021 class, click here.