News regarding a pair of high interest 2018 recruits for the Virginia basketball program hit the social media waves Friday. Musa Jallow and Keldon Johnson each revealed destination decisions.
Jallow, a wing out of Bloomington, Indiana, revealed on Twitter that he will announce his college choice Friday night at 8:30 p.m. The 6’5” prospect received attention from Ohio State, Stanford, Virginia, and Indiana among others during the process. During the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June, Jallow indicated that an official visit to UVA and Stanford could be in the cards, but that did not materialize for the Hoos. He did provide praise for the Cavalier program, though.
”Coach Bennett, the way he runs his team, the defensive intensity, the humbleness they have,” Jallow said of Virginia in this article. ”It’s a really good system.”
At this point, many recruiting analysts are pointing to Ohio State as the favorite for Jallow. New Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann prioritized Jallow when he took over the OSU post in early June. Holtmann had recruited Jallow while at Butler as well.
(Update: Jallow committed to Ohio State and will enroll there as a member of the class of 2017.
Johnson, meanwhile, has not announced a college destination, but he did reveal his plans to switch high school programs for his senior season. ESPN recruiting analyst Paul Biancardi posted on Twitter that Johnson told ESPN of his plans to transfer to Oak Hill Academy. The 6’6” prospect suited up at Huntington Prep last season.
By switching over to Oak Hill, Johnson will be returning to an in-state program. He’s from South Hill, Virginia, and plays his AAU ball with Boo Williams. At Oak Hill, he’ll receive instruction from head coach Steve Smith but also UVA standout Cory Alexander among others.
Virginia, Texas, Maryland, Oregon, and many others are in the recruiting hunt for Johnson. Another UVA recruiting target, David McCormack, plays for the Warriors as well. Johnson said during the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June that recruiting had become hectic after a strong spring on the EYBL circuit and that Virginia sees itself as a great fit for him.
