A nice interview with Pitt asssitant coach Brandin Knight (still feels weird to type and read that even though he finished playing at Pitt some six years ago) about recruiting Pitt players.
“I think where we do a good job in recruiting is we recruit guys who we like and not necessarily guys that someone else told us to like,” says Knight. “What I’ve found now is even guys that might not be as highly touted is that when we start recruiting them, a lot of other big schools start recruiting them because they’ve probably seen what we’ve done with guys like Sam and DeJuan and Chevy and how they became impact players here.” Knight’s points are spot on, particularly with Blair and other schools jumping on kids that Pitt shows interest in.
The article notes a couple of Pitt recruits that have gotten a lot of interest after Pitt jumped on them. Cameron Wright in 2010 and John Johnson for 2011.
John Johnson, by the way, shined at the Eddie Griffin Challenge and was named a co-MVP of the tournament.
One of the best players in the event, regardless of class, Johnson was outstanding at getting to the basket and had multiple impressive finishes. He used his quickness and athleticism to get past his defender and finish at the rim or pass it off to a teammate for an easy basket. His speed with the ball going to the lane was eye-opening, and he was certainly not outplayed by the more well-known Kabongo. In the future, he adds a big-time dose of speed to the Pittsburgh attack.
And this report on his performance.
Johnson is the latest in the line of great point guards from Philadelphia. He plays the game and the point guard position with terrific poise and maturity beyond his years. Although he has a wiry frame, Johnson is very strong and rarely has the ball taken from him on offense nor does he get pushed off the ball or beaten on defense. There is no question that he has the toughness to play in the Big East. He is continuing to develop the skills and is making better decisions on offense that should help him contribute to Jamie Dixon’s team at the University of Pittsburgh.
It is looking like Pitt got another good one early.
And Pitt may be adding another Johnson for 2011. Durand Johnson out of Maryland has Pitt high on his list even if he doesn’t know that much about the school.
“Pitt, UConn, Florida State and Virginia Tech. That’s it right there,” Johnson said. “I really like those four the most right now. I really can see myself being a big-time player at any of those programs.”
Johnson, who wants to make his decision in the spring, plans on taking an unofficial visit to Pittsburgh on Oct. 23.
“I really don’t know a lot about them,” Johnson said. “I’ve seen them play a couple of times. I know Jermaine Dixon, he’s from Baltimore and he plays at Pitt. They’ve turned him into a pretty good player. And [former Pittsburgh standout] Sam Young played for Cecil for about two or three years.”
Of course, that was before the 6-7 wing/shooting guard visited. Apparently he really enjoyed the visit.
…it looks as though his visit to Pittsburgh has certainly elevated the Panthers into the driver’s seat in his recruitment.
“My biggest impression was the team, the coaches and the fans”, said Johnson. “They showed me alot of love and really wanted me to be a part of the Pitt family.”
He’s now close to making a decision according to the story. Lots of teams interested.
