What the Ducks Are Getting in Oregon Commit Dior Johnson

Dana Altman added one of the most dynamic players in the country for 2022. Here's what stands out the most about his game.

Author:
Tyler Mumm
Publish date:
Jun 23, 2021 5:01 PM EDT

The college basketball world received huge news Tuesday when five-star point guard Dior Johnson announced his commitment to Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks.

Johnson’s commitment is hugely significant in multiple facets.

For starters, Johnson is a super talented prospect that chose Oregon over the likes of blue blood Kentucky and the NBL. He’s a consensus five-star prospect in the class of 2022, and is considered one of the elite point guard prospects in high school basketball.

He’s ranked the No. 15 overall player in the class of 2022 by ESPN and the No. 7 overall player by the 247Sports composite rankings. Most see him as the top point guard in his class.

Landing a coveted recruit over such fierce competition is monumental for the Ducks. This is the type of recruiting battle that blue bloods typically win (or pro leagues in recent years), but Altman came up big with the addition of Johnson. He is one of the highest rated commits in program history, a great way to kickstart the Ducks' 2022 recruiting efforts.

But, what is possibly even more significant is the hole that Johnson will fill in a what could become a depleted back court in 2022. It’s expected that Will Richardson, De’Vion Harmon, and Jacob Young could all move on from Oregon following this coming season, so the backcourt could have been rather underwhelming in 2022. Johnson fixes that.

He’s a plug-and-play type freshman that will immediately light up the box score and bring a level of excitement to Eugene.

Here’s a quick look at what he’ll bring to the Ducks.

Scoring - Johnson has many valuable attributes, but at the end of the day he is a score-first point guard. He gets his points in a variety of ways. Whether it’s getting to the rim and finishing with his creative layup package, or coming around a screen for a pull up three-point shot in the half court, Johnson can really get his own. He has legitimate scoring ability at all three levels, and that ability will likely be what sets him apart from other point guards at Oregon.

Playmaking - While Johnson is more of a score-first player, he also has plenty of ability as a playmaker. His live dribble passing ability really stands out when watching his film and it should help in creating a potent transition attack for Oregon. He sees the floor well and has a knack for making flashy, one-handed passes off the dribble.

Creativity - Johnson has a flashy style of play due in large part to his creativity with the ball in his hands. He creates space with a slick, creative handle and finds ways to fit the ball into tight passing windows. That creativity makes him a joy to watch.

Open floor ability - One area that Johnson really has a chance to thrive is in the open floor. He isn’t quite as polished in a half court setting, but he’s a handful in transition. His live dribble passing, creativity, and advanced layup package should make him a serious threat in transition for the Ducks.

Natural talent - Johnson isn’t always as consistently productive and efficient as you’d like to see, but his immense natural talent has always been evident. He just oozes talent. The key for Dana Altman and the rest of the Oregon staff will be figuring out how to utilize that talent.

The bottom line is that Johnson is one of the most talented players to commit to Oregon in program history. He’ll fill an area of need in the class of 2022 as a high-level scoring guard with some playmaking chops as well. He’s seen as one of the top pro prospects in high school basketball and will make Oregon incredibly exciting to watch for as long as he’s in Eugene.

Analysis from Sports Illustrated Director of Basketball Recruiting Jason Jordan

"Dior is the fiercest competitor in the country with the type of confidence that can will a team to wins and carry a team throughout the game. He’s got great size and length and scores efficiently on all three levels and should thrive in Dana Altman's system. Dior is an elite passer and often times his scoring and ball handling ability overshadow that. Supreme leader."

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