Pitt has received a verbal commitment from point guard Xavier Johnson, the class of 2018 prospect announced Saturday.
He becomes the second guard to commit to coach Jeff Capel and the Panthers the past four days, solidifying what had been a shaky backcourt and providing Capel with the first two recruits of his tenure.
The 6-foot-3 Johnson, a senior at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va., is rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports (which ranks him as the 223rd-best player in his class) and Rivals.com, though ESPN has him at four stars. Johnson was originally committed to Nebraska, though he reneged on that pledge and asked for a release from his National Letter of Intent after assistant coach Kenya Hunter, his primary recruiter and a former player at Duquesne, accepted a similar position at Connecticut.
Johnson, who took an unofficial visit to Pitt earlier in the week, selected the Panthers over a group of finalists that included South Carolina and Nebraska. He also held scholarship offers from Georgetown, Mississippi, Georgia Tech and N.C. State, among others.
"Everything in life is a reflection of the choices we make,” Johnson said in a video announcing his commitment. “Throughout this process, I had to make some very tough decisions. I have come to realize that my destiny isn't a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. Today, I make the choice to define that narrative. Today, I make the choice to embrace whatever challenges my future holds.
“I thank all the universities and coaches for their time and effort in recruiting me and for giving me possibilities. I'm beyond blessed for their offers, interest and for seeing something in me. With God's guidance and with the love and support of my family, coaches, teammates and friends, I have been blessed and honored to make a choice. This choice I make will not only define who I am, but who I want to become.”
During his senior season at Bishop O’Connell, Johnson – who also played for the Washington, D.C.-based AAU program Team Takeover – averaged 18.4 points per game.
With Johnson now in the fold, Pitt has more of a natural point guard to pair alongside top-100 recruit Trey McGowens, a combo guard who committed on Tuesday. In the backcourt, the two freshmen will join rising senior Jared Wilson-Frame, the Panthers’ leading scorer last season at 13 points per game, and rising sophomore Khameron Davis.
That group could potentially also include Malik Ellison, a St. John’s transfer, but the 6-foot-6 junior has yet to declare whether he is returning to the program after receiving his release in March following the firing of coach Kevin Stallings. Of a group of nine players that asked for their release, only Ellison and forward Kene Chukwuka haven’t yet made a decision.
Following Johnson’s commitment, Capel has at least three scholarships remaining and as many as five should Ellison and Chukwuka both opt to go elsewhere.
Craig Meyer: cmeyer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @CraigMeyerPG
First Published: April 28, 2018, 9:33 p.m.
