When Pitt shows interest in a recruit, sometimes it is hard to gauge whether or not that interest is mutual. However, with one guard prospect in the class of 2023, the reverse is true. His interest is there, he is just waiting to hear from Pitt.
London Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard from Charlotte, North Carolina, who recently moved to Norcross, Georgia to play for Norcross High School. Although Johnson has not yet visited the city of Pittsburgh, he has an aunt who did her Pediatric fellowship at Pitt and has several family members that live in Pittsburgh.
“I’ve talked to her a little bit about the city, Johnson told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “She says it’s blue collar.”
Johnson, who is just a sophomore, already holds high-major offers from Georgia, Georgetown, Xavier, and Georgia Tech. He is also actively receiving interest from Clemson, Wake Forest, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Rutgers, Tennessee, and LSU.
Pitt has not reached out to Johnson yet, but the sophomore says he likes what he sees from the Panthers’ head coach.
“I am a fan of Coach Capel and think that my style of play compliments his style of coaching,” he said. “I know that he is a good coach and that he is very good with point guards. I think it would be a very good idea to play under him.”
Johnson then went on to talk about Capel being from Charlotte and the impact that Capel had on his home city back in his playing days.
“Coach Capel is a bit of a legend in South Charlotte,” he said. “I heard many stories from the local coaches about the game winner Coach hit that led South Mick to a state championship. I am hoping I will eventually lead Norcross to a state championship as well.”
Johnson is a shifty ball handler with a strong finishing ability at the rim. A talented scorer, he effortlessly weaves his way through the lane and has a layup package that allows him to finish over bigger defenders.
“I think I am at my best defensively and shooting,” he added. “I am comfortable shooting at all three levels and on defense I am very good both on and off the ball.”
Johnson also added that he is friends with Jalen Hood-Schifino, who prior to living in Charlotte was from the Pittsburgh area and was once committed to Pitt.
“Jalen and I go way back to third grade,” he said. “We used to play on the same AAU team and hang out a lot. I stay in touch with him. When I go back to Charlotte, I usually work out with him sometimes.”
Although he still has plenty of time to weigh his options and does not have a timeline set for a commitment, with multiple division one offers on the table, playing at the next level is looking more and more like a lock as the days go by.
“I am looking forward to the whole experience, and hopefully winning,” he said about playing in college. “I am looking forward to playing against other players that are really good that will help me elevate my basketball game.”
