Ohio State Basketball: Meechie Johnson Jr. bolsters 2021 recruiting class
By Neil Adler
The Ohio State basketball program is getting ahead of the pack with its 2021 class, landing a pledge this week from Meechie Johnson Jr.
The Ohio State basketball squad has secured the services of 2021 four-star combo guard Meechie Johnson Jr., the Buckeyes’ second recruit in that class. With four-star power forward Kalen Etzler already in tow, Ohio State, at this juncture, now has the top-ranked 2021 class on the 247Sports Web site.
Of course, it’s extremely early in the recruiting cycle for the class of 2021. However, the Buckeyes have put themselves in terrific shape as it pertains to this class.
The 6-foot-2 Johnson, whose father revealed his son’s decision via Twitter, attends Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland. NBA superstar LeBron James has referred to Johnson as his nephew, per this Yahoo Sports article. And, according to numerous media reports, James and Johnson’s dad, Meechie Johnson Sr., grew up together. Pretty cool stuff.
Johnson Jr. is clearly a talented young man. Presently, the 247Sports Composite slots him at No. 71 across the country in the 2021 class. Rivals.com notes that Johnson had received offers from a handful of other schools, such as Georgetown, Louisville and UNLV. Furthermore, on the 247Sports Web site, teams to have taken an interest in him included three additional Big Ten Conference members: Indiana, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
This 247Sports piece says that Johnson missed the spring and summer due to a knee injury, “but he is hoping to get back on the floor at some point for his junior season.” That same story describes Johnson as someone “who can both score and distribute. He has good speed, is a solid athlete, and is capable of getting all the way to the rim, or scoring from distance.”
Johnson told 247Sports it meant a lot to him that Ohio State coaches kept their interest level high while he dealt with his injury. “They have been really open and honest with me the entire time, and haven’t pressured me at all,” Johnson said. “Them sticking with me through my injury has meant a lot, and it shows what type of people and what type of coaches they are.”
Next. Breaking down Ohio State's recruiting class. dark
It sounds like the Buckeyes and Johnson are a strong fit, and perhaps we’ll see King James watching some of his nephew’s games on the Columbus campus down the road.