Brice Johnson announced his college choice via Twitter. “I will be a UNC Tar Heel,” Johnson tweeted.
And thus ends the hopes of the Gamecocks landing the best basketball player in the state. As we reported awhile back, the Gamecocks were losing ground with Johnson but it seemed likely that he was going to go to either Florida or North Carolina.
The 6-foot-9, 195-pound power forward out of Cordova (S.C.) Edisto finished the summer regarded as a four-star prospect and ranked No.
46 overall in the 2012 recruiting class by Scout.com.
Johnson had taken official visits to UNC, Florida and NC State, and also considered Clemson, UConn, Louisville Ohio State and South Carolina.
Johnson averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks per game as a junior at Edisto and was named the Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year. He is also the 2011 SC high school state champ in the high jump.
I had really thought USC could land him as he is a perfect fit for the Horn system but it seems Johnson was set on leaving the state. Hard to say no when the likes of UNC and UF come calling as they are at the top of the college basketball spectrum and then there is USC which was voted last in the SEC. Tough sell. In saying that, I have faith in Horn to turn it around as he can only go up.
As we noted in our season preview, this 2011-2012 team could surprise. All it takes is to get some good things going with the program and kids like Johnson will be attracted. In theory right?
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