2022 Cortez Johnson commits to UNC-Greensboro
2022 St. Frances forward Cortez Johnson Cortez Johnson 6'7" | PF St. Frances | 2022 State MD announced his commitment this afternoon to UNC-Greensboro. Johnson, the No. 10 ranked player in our 2022 rankings, put together a productive summer for Team Thrill and translated that to his role for Baltimore powerhouse St. Frances this winter.
“I chose UNC-Greensboro because they have a great coaching staff and I love the way they play and how the players get treated,” Johnson told Prep Hoops.
Along with UNC-Greensboro, Morgan State was recruiting Johnson heavily. He also held offers from the likes of Siena, Wagner, La Salle, Rider and McNeese State among others. It was the chemistry with the coaching staff that ultimately won Johnson’s verbal commitment.
“My relationship with the coaching staff is like I go there already really. They treat me like I’m one of the players. They love me and I love them.”
Johnson is a 6-foot-7 combo forward who has been forced to log the majority of his minutes as a center due to St. Frances’ lack of true size. Even when matched up against players 6-foot-9 and above, Johnson has still won the matchup battle, which speaks to his versatility, toughness and competitiveness.
His performance in a win over DeMatha at National Hoop Fest earlier this season caught the eyes of many when he scored 16 points and collected 20 boards. His length, versatility and athleticism make for a valuable defensive weapon who can guard multiple positions while still being a shot-blocking presence in the paint.
Offensively he’s a quick jumper off the catch who can finish well above the rim. He can grab defensive rebounds and start the break himself on occasion and as he continues to improve his ball-handling, this should become a more common theme within his game at the next level. Johnson isn’t incapable of making jumpers from outside, there just isn’t reason for him to shoot as many with all of the guards that St. Frances has. With time and space he’s a capable threat, but it still remains a part of his game to polish as time progresses.
“The play style they have is really forward and wing heavy. They always catch the ball at the elbows and can make plays from there and I feel like that is one of my strong areas,” Johnson said..