2018 PG Johnson sees Nebraska in new light after official visit

Born and raised in the Washington D.C. area, 2018 point guard Xavier Johnson hadn’t experienced much of the midwest section of the country, let alone know about what the state of Nebraska was all about.

So when the three-star prospect from Arlington (Va.) Bishop O’Connell made his way to Lincoln for an official visit this weekend, he wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip.

By the time he left, his impressions of Nebraska as a whole had changed dramatically.

“I thought it was straight cornfields,” Johnson told HuskerOnline.com. “When I left, it was totally different. I felt like I was in a city…

“It was a nice campus. All the facilities were phenomenal. I really liked the whole coaching staff. I just felt like I’m wanted there, but I still have one more visit to go.”

Johnson narrowed his final list of schools down to three last week, with Nebraska, Georgia Tech and Georgetown making the cut.

He unofficially visited hometown Georgetown two weeks ago and will take a second official visit to Georgia Tech this weekend.

After that, Johnson said he has no timeframe for his decision but plans to sit down with his parents sometime next week.

He said the three biggest factors he’s looking for in his future school were strong academics, an immediate role as a freshman, and a family atmosphere in the locker room.

Johnson averaged 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last season as a junior, and he helped lead his Team Takeover AAU program to win “The 8” championship in Las Vegas back in July.

He said Nebraska head coach Tim Miles made it clear he would be an immediate factor for the Huskers next season if he were to commit.

“They see me coming in as a facilitator,” Johnson said. “Coach Miles said he’ll help me out with my shot, and that’s one thing that I have to work on. So that was a big thing for me.”

Johnson said location wouldn’t be a factor in his final college decision, and added that he really hit it off with several current Huskers on his visit in Thomas Allen, Isaiah Roby, Duby Okeke, and James Palmer.

While his visit may have opened his eyes a bit on what Lincoln was actually like, Johnson said the trip didn’t change his already lofty view of Nebraska’s program all that much.

“They were already one of my top schools before my visit, so nothing’s really changed,” Johnson said.

Nebraska currently has three available scholarships for its 2018 class, with Platteview (Neb.) center Brady Heiman already verbally committed.