Standing 6-foot-9, small forward Jalen Johnson is a high-caliber talent who already has NBA scouts taking notice. Those scouts will have to wait though, as ESPN's 15th-ranked recruit in the nation will attend Duke in the fall. The Sun Prairie, Wisconsin native chose the Duke Blue Devils over Arizona, Wisconsin, and Kentucky this past July and could become one of the top college basketball players in the country.
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The 18-year-old has a great skill set with the potential to get even better. He drives hard and uses his length to finish strong at the rim. His court version permits him to find the open man, and when he does, the pass is delivered on-the-money and with a soft touch. The Duke commit has a smooth jump shot that culminates with a high release, making it tough to block.
5-Star SF Jalen Johnson
With a repertoire like that, is there any reason for Duke fans to have concerns about the highly-touted high school recruit?
Johnson recently left IMG Academy (FL)—his third school in three years—in the middle of his senior year for undisclosed reasons. It was recently reported Johnson will return to Nicolet High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to finish this year. In order to play—it remains unclear if he will or not—the small forward would need to complete a waiver. Johnson led Nicolet to a state championship last year.
Johnson does it all. Watch his EYBL mixtape with Phenom University, and you'll see exactly why Duke fans are salivating at the chance to see this kid.
Jalen Johnson Highlights
The five-star recruit seems as excited as ever to be a Blue Devil. His Twitter avatar remains a picture of him in a Duke jersey, and he regularly tweets Duke content. Johnson is the marquee member of the Blue Devils' 2020 recruiting class, which is the No. 2 class in the country, according to 247Sports.
Mike Krzyzewski churns new faces in and out of Cameron like clockwork these days. The future Blue Devil is likely to be a participant in this trend. He's a projected lottery pick and a prime candidate to leave for the NBA after one season at the NCAA level.
While Johnson's exit from IMG was abrupt, his time in Florida was just a pitstop on his way to the league.
Next stop: Durham, North Carolina.
