Dior Johnson wasn’t supposed to make an announcement until June 25.
The five-star point guard was taking visits before he was set to make his official commitment and as one of the best prospects in the 2022 class, he had plenty of suitors, but narrowed his list down to five. He had Alabama, Kentucky, Washington, and the NBL on his list but ultimately chose the Ducks which came as a surprise to many.
Oregon was one of the latest teams to offer Johnson this past spring and the Ducks quickly rose up his list as Dana Altman worked his magic yet again.
After a very successful offseason in terms of landing transfers to bulk up the roster after some key departures, this was a massive win for the head coach for the future of the program.
2022 five-star Dior Johnson tells me he’s committed to Oregon. 🦆 pic.twitter.com/yn88WvzCtK
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 22, 2021
I’m not sure I even expected him to pick Oregon and especially not three days before he was supposed to make his decision, but this just goes to show how good of a recruiter Altman truly is.
No one sells their program quite like him in the Pac-12 and that’s why the Ducks have won two straight regular-season titles.
And with De’Vion Harmon and Will Richardson potentially gone after this season to the NBA, getting Johnson to be the potential starter in 2022-23 improves the outlook and almost makes Oregon Pac-12 favorites for the foreseeable future.
Dior Johnson becomes second-highest ranked commit ever
The Ducks have been solid on the recruiting trail under Altman and they’ve even landed their highest-ranked commit in school history under his reign (Bol Bol).
Now, Johnson becomes the second-highest ranked commit in school history right behind Bol as the No. 7 overall propsect in the country (No. 3 according to 247Sports) and the top point guard. He’s jumped Malik Hairston, Troy Brown, and N’Faly Dante in the Ducks’ top five all-time.
If he lives up to his comps, he’s going to be a superstar for the Ducks. Jerry Meyer of 247Sports compares him to De’Aaron Fox and we know how that worked out for Kentucky.
Oregon basketball isn’t going anywhere any time soon.