UNC Basketball: Breaking down the Tar Heels’ 2020 recruiting class

Puff Johnson — Phoenix, AZ

SF | 6-foot-7 | 185 lbs | No. 61 overall

Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Donovan ‘Puff’ Johnson — the younger brother of former Tar Heel and current Phoenix Sun, Cameron — comes to Chapel Hill as a slender forward with sweet shooting touch and ancillary skills that make him primed to be a long-term contributor on the wing.

He doesn’t share the same high-pocket quick-trigger that made his older brother a lethal off-ball weapon, capable of firing away from 30 feet or stopping on a dime after sprinting off a screen, but the southpaw is nonetheless heralded for his work beyond the arc.

As a junior for Moon High School, Johnson reportedly converted on 46% of his three-point attempts (61 makes) while averaging a gaudy stat line of 22.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.8 stocks per game. As a senior on a stacked Hillcrest Prep team, Johnson shot 44.6% from distance while averaging 14.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 4.0 stocks over 14 games (that were recorded, anyway).

Standing 6’7” with a massive 7’1” wingspan, Johnson has the requisite length to make him a useful team defender, where he’s already a strong ball denier and nail defender.

However, his lackluster foot speed and significant lack of strength are evidently limiting on both ends of the floor, limiting him as an on-ball defender and as a driver on offense. As is, he’s best suited as a play-finishing sharpshooter with limited on-ball duties, given his physical limitations and average ball-handling.

With Puff Johnson and Kerwin Walton on board, Roy Williams has secured a pair of potent sharpshooters for the next four years, adding much-needed depth and spacing to the wing rotation.