It’s been a year like no other for Rick Pitino. Our head coach is on top of the world right now with a smile that won’t fade, getting ready for his induction into the Hall of Fame, a team that could contend for a third consecutive Final Four appearance and a recruiting class that could shake down as one of the nation’s best. And today that recruiting class got a little stronger when 4* 6-9 PF Jaylen Johnson of Ypsilanti, Michigan decided that he wanted to become a Louisville Cardinal. “I wanted to say congratulations and tell him I was coming to Louisville,” Johnson said. “Louisville is the perfect fit for me.” He is ranked #62 by Scout, #55 by 247Sports, #56 by rivals, #134 by Future150 and #62 in ESPN100. Look for these rankings to go up as Johnson just started to shine at the LeBron camp this summer and went from the B-list to the A-list in July.
“I felt Louisville made me a priority. The entire coaching staff was at my games in Las Vegas,” Johnson said. “I want to improve my game and have a chance to play in the NBA. I know Coach Pitino is hard and will make me a better player. He is a great teacher.”
Coach Pitino’s recent development of players like Earl Clark, Gorgui Dieng, Montrezl Harrell, and Chane Behanan is what caught the eye of Jaylen and his mom. Yes I said his mom. She once led the Big Ten in blocked shots at Wisconsin so she knows a thing or two about the round ball. Per an article written by the recruiting guru of the Courier Journal Steve Jones Jaylen’s AAU coach said: U of L coach Rick Pitino has told Johnson he can envision him following a path similar to Harrell’s, a freshman role player last season who appears poised for a breakout sophomore year.
On top of getting a great basketball player in Johnson the Cardinals will also be getting a great young man who is grounded by his family, faith and his community. According to an article written in The Detroit News being a good person, a good citizen and true to his spiritual well-being are what’s most important in Johnson’s life. Then comes his basketball. Commits like this have me smiling from ear to ear and it ensures that we continue to not only have a great basketball team but also have great ambassadors of the Cardinal Pride. Jaylen will embrace the Louisville First culture.
ESPN on Johnson: “Johnson is a promising player that is just scratching the surface of his potential. Look for him to continue to climb the recruiting charts and end up having a better career going forward than some of the players ranked ahead of him.”