Huskers land commitment from 2018 PG Johnson
After taking an official visit to Nebraska two weekends ago, 2018 Arlington (Va.) Bishop O’Connell point guard Xavier Johnson’s plan was to take one final official before making a decision on his future school.
Having already unofficially visited nearby Georgetown the week before coming to Lincoln, Johnson still needed to see Georgia Tech, the other program who made the recent cut in his list of final three schools.
Though a trip to Atlanta had been scheduled for this past weekend, those plans changed when the three-star prospect canceled his visit on Thursday.
Johnson took the weekend to review his options, and on Monday announced that he was committing to the Huskers.
“I knew last week Nebraska was the place for me," Johnson told HuskerOnline.com. "My parents, they loved the city, everyone was nice. I just knew it was the right place. The players just took me under their wing when I went there. That was another big thing.”
Following his visit to NU, Johnson said his time in Lincoln definitely changed his perception of what Nebraska was really like.
“I thought it was straight cornfields,” Johnson said. “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.”
What also stood out was how detailed Nebraska's plan was for him if he were to become a Husker.
"Nebraska had everything laid out for me, everything was pretty much set," Johnson said. Nebraska, their player development plan for me was top of the line. They had everything written out."
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound native of Tampa, Fla., 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 and the Peach Jam championship back in July.
Rivals.com national basketball recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said Johnson had to opportunity to play an immediate role for NU next season because of his ability to get others involved on offense and his tenacious defense.
"I would put Johnson into the category of a more traditional point guard," Bossi said. "He can score and he has athleticism, but his bread and butter is making the simple play and getting the ball to the right spots. Johnson is also a defensive pest and has the tools to be a true standout on that side of the ball."
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.”
Keith Stevens, director of Johnson's Team Takeover AAU program, said Johnson has only scratched the surface in his development and has the drive and work ethic to thrive at the next level
"He's a relentless player on both ends of the court," Stevens told Rivals.com. "He has an unbelievable work ethic and is always trying to improve."
With the addition of Johnson, Nebraska now has two commitments in its 2018 class along with three-star Platteview (Neb.) center Brady Heiman. The Huskers now have now two available spots remaining for 2018.
Based on the reactions from NU's coaching staff when Johnson told them the news, the Huskers couldn't be much happier about landing their point guard of the future.
“They were all jumping around screaming," Johnson said, "so I guess they were pretty happy.”