Jalen Johnson
Jalen Tyrese Johnson (born December 18, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best small forwards in the 2020 class. Johnson finished his high school career at Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin.
Johnson playing for Nicolet High School in 2019 | |
No. 1 – Duke Blue Devils | |
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Position | Small forward |
League | Atlantic Coast Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | Wausau, Wisconsin | December 18, 2001
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College | Duke (2020–present) |
Career highlights and awards | |
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High school career
Johnson played his first two years of high school basketball for Sun Prairie High School in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He played under current head coach Jeff Boos. As a freshman in 2016–17, Johnson averaged 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks to help his team to a 20–4 record. They were upset in the Regional Finals by Madison East High School. As a sophomore in 2017–18, Johnson averaged 18.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.5 blocks to help his team to a 25–2 record. He led the Cardinals to their first state tournament Division 1 semifinals appearance.
After his sophomore year he transferred to Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin. Johnson helped lead Nicolet to the Division 2 State Championship.[1] He was named the Associated Press Player of the Year for Wisconsin.[1] In 2019, Johnson transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year.[2] On January 5, 2020, he left IMG Academy, before returning to Nicolet, though not necessarily to play basketball.[3] He was ruled eligible on February 8 to play the remainder of the season for Nicolet after never playing in a game for IMG.[1] As a senior, Johnson averaged 24.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 9 games. He was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
Recruiting
Johnson was rated as a five-star recruit and the No.13 overall recruit in the 2020 high school class.[5]
On July 4, 2019, Johnson committed to play college basketball at Duke University over offers from Arizona, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.[6][7]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Johnson SF |
Milwaukee, WI | Nicolet (WI) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 4, 2019 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 9 247Sports: 14 ESPN: 13 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
In his collegiate debut on November 28, 2020, Johnson had 19 points, 19 rebounds, and four blocks in an 81–71 win against Coppin State.[8] On November 30, 2020, Johnson earned ACC Freshman of the week honors.[9] On January 26, 2021, Johnson scored 18 points and 6 rebounds in a 75–68 win over Georgia Tech.[10]
References
- Masson, Jon (February 8, 2020). "Jalen Johnson gains eligibility to play at Glendale Nicolet". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- Watson, John (August 5, 2019). "Duke's Jalen Johnson will transfer to IMG for senior season". 247Sports. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- Stewart, Mark (January 17, 2020). "Duke recruit Jalen Johnson will return to Nicolet for school, not necessarily for basketball". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
- "Jalen Johnson, 2020 Small forward". n.rivals.com. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- Caron, Emily (July 4, 2019). "Five-Star Small Forward Jalen Johnson Commits to Duke's 2020 Class". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- Borzello, Jeff (July 4, 2019). "No.4 recruit, forward Johnson, commits to Duke". ESPN. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- "Johnson, Steward help No. 9 Duke beat Coppin State 81-71". ESPN. Associated Press. November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- "Aluma, Johnson Pick Up ACC Men's Basketball Weekly Honors". Atlantic Coast Conference. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- "Duke snaps 3-game skid, holds off Georgia Tech for 75–68 win". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved January 27, 2021.