Dior Johnson Remains Committed to Oregon Following Crutchfield Departure to Omaha

For the second year in a row, Dana Altman will enter the offseason with a clear chief priority: replacing one of his assistant coaches and top recruiters. Chris Crutchfield will be the next head coach at Omaha after spending just one year in Eugene.

Crutchfield was paramount to the Ducks landing two 5-star players in point guard Dior Johnson and big man Kel'el Ware in the 2022 class. However, with the coaching change, questions arose whether Johnson and Ware would remain signed with the Ducks.

The Circuit Content Director Alex Karamanos put questions regarding Johnson's commitment to bed on Monday, tweeting that he spoke with the elite point guard and that he "still plans on attending Oregon and playing under Head Coach Dana Altman."

Spoke to 5 ⭐️ Oregon commit Dior Johnson (@3Diorjohnson) a few days ago and he still plans on attending Oregon and playing under HC Dana Altman

Chris Crutchfield, Johnson’s main recruiter departed Oregon for the HC job at Omaha

Elite PG with a pro-like skill set @OregonMBB
— Alex Karamanos (@TheCircuitAlex) March 28, 2022

Johnson, who chose Oregon over Kentucky, Alabama, Washington, and the NBL, retweeted the tweet, confirming the news. He was originally committed to Syracuse before reopening his recruitment. The 5-star prep (0.9917 per 247 Sports Composite) from Southern California Academy signed with the Ducks in November.

Johnson told ESPN's Jonathan Givony after choosing the Ducks that he made the decision because of his relationship with the coaching staff.

"Coach Crutchfield and Coach Altman welcomed me with open arms from day one. We were able to get on the same page quickly as they have built a great plan for me to succeed."

With Will Richardson's future still up in the air and Jacob Young exhausting the remainder of his eligibility, the Ducks may be without their top two leaders in scoring and assists. Johnson is an exciting scorer and flashy passer that will provide some insurance for the Ducks' backcourt regardless of Richardson's decision.

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