Xavier Johnson | The Boneyard

Xavier Johnson

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Explosive PG that can get to the rim quickly:



A 6’1″ point guard out of Arlington, Virginia, Johnson is rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN and a composite three-star prospect by 247.

Johnson is expected to play right away for the Huskers.

“He’ll play right away,” Miles said without hesitation. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”

Johnson currently plays for Bishop O’Connell high school in Virginia, while playing for Team Takeover in the AAU circuit – which is the same AAU program that produced senior captain Evan Taylor and NU’s leading scorer, James Palmer Jr.

We spoke with former ESPN and current Prephoops.com scout Joel Francisco to determine the impact Johnson can have on the Huskers. Francisco, a scout for over 30 years, watched Johnson and his team play at the 2017 Torrey Pines Classic and has a good baseline for where the Husker signee is at today.

“No one could really contain him, halfcourt or fullcourt,” Francisco said. “He was unstoppable off the dribble and he could pinpoint passes with either hand. His vision was impeccable.”

After watching Johnson, Francisco said he reminds him a lot of current Milwaukee Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe.

“Physically, he reminds me of Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe couldn’t really shoot it in high school, but he was really quick and could really get to the rim,” Francisco said.

While showing a lot of promise, Francisco mentioned that Johnson’s biggest opportunity to improve would be his perimeter shooting.

“His only real concern for me is his outside shooting,” Francisco said. “At the collegiate level, especially in the Big Ten, you have to be able to keep the defense honest.”

It’s more than just his physical traits that make Johnson an impressive prospect at the collegiate level, Francisco said that his competitive fire compliments his physical attributes and goes along well with a tough mental makeup.

“Playing for Team Takeover, you kind of get this mentality of wanting to rip the other team’s heart out,” Francisco said. “And playing for Coach Wooten (of Bishop O’Connell), he certainly demands a lot out of his players.”

New Recruit Brightens Future for Nebrasketball - Husker Hype
 
Interesting player with speed, leaps and keen ability to get to the hoop
A late blossom from 3* to 4* in most ratings
I would definitely take a look at him
 
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Adams is seemingly the better perimeter shooter based on the quotes from above and considering that's a glaring weakness of ours I'd prefer Adams.
 
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gwhuskyfan said:
I seem to like him the most of the guys we've seen reported for this coming year
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Agreed. He has tools you can’t teach via his athleticism. Also even though he basically can’t shoot, he’s 70%+ from the FT line, which is an indicator that not all hope is lost. He’s also adept at creating turnovers defensively and rebounds well for his height. He reminds me of Rozier stylistically.
 
I swear he looks like Jerome Dyson 2.0, personally I was a Dyson fan. Rome was from DMV too. Wasn't JD's 3pt% around 31% or so? But he was tough as balls with no fear of going to the hole or getting fouled and I will take that. A slasher/take it to the hole guard to complement Jalen since he does not do this well. Hopefully the jumper will improve, he's got nothing but time and proper coaching if he decides to come here. *STILL NEED A SHOOTER BUT.....
 
So even with this kid Nebraska only had the 67th ranked recuriting class (247 sports) so if we were able to sign this kid and Adams without filling our third scholarship we will only be sitting at #73 behind the likes of Rutgers, UC Santa Barbara, Buffalo, Rice, and Old Dominion.

I know it's not all about numbers but would this be a smart move for us?
 
Considering that these are ‘lean’ times to be recruiting for ‘18, my head is spinning from all of these various mentions. Awesome. Trust the process.
 
YoungFree said:
So even with this kid Nebraska only had the 67th ranked recuriting class (247 sports) so if we were able to sign this kid and Adams without filling our third scholarship we will only be sitting at #73 behind the likes of Rutgers, UC Santa Barbara, Buffalo, Rice, and Old Dominion.

I know it's not all about numbers but would this be a smart move for us?
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Considering our entire recruiting class decommitted in March/April and there's not a ton left out there...I would say not to worry too much about rankings.
 
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Rico444 said:
Considering our entire recruiting class decommitted in March/April and there's not a ton left out there...I would say not to worry too much about rankings.
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Very, very true
 
From when he committed to Nebraska:
Blessed with above average quickness, toughness and long arms, Johnson also has a high motor and some versatility. When playing the point, he's focused on getting the ball to his teammates and making the right decision. Those times he's off the ball, he uses his athletic gifts to get to the rim and make things happen. His jumper needs some work, but the plan is for him to run the show and become a high end defensive player.
 
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This is very good news. I know some would disagree, but I like his size and athleticism compared to Akinjo.

Sounds like he will be up in Storrs soon as a formality, but there is such a lack of pg available, you could see some big fish come in hard.

Would be a great first Kenya commit!
 
Hard to tell much from highlight videos but we need to recruit guards who can shoot. He looks really athletic and would be an excellent fit somewhere but I'm not sure it is at UConn based upon our needs and our limited scholarship situation.
I'm always a bit suspect of HS "slashers" because it is a lot more difficult to score that way in Div. 1. He would be a really intriguing player if his shot improved.
 
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