There were many key pieces on the San Diego State squad that had just made the NCAA Basketball national championship game for the first time in program history. One of them was Keshad Johnson, a 6’7 forward that started all 39 games this past season at 22 mpg.
Johnson, a four-year player for the Aztecs, averaged career-highs of 7.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg on 53% shooting from the field. Defense is his calling card, as his physicality and versatility allow Johnson to guard any kind of opposing forward.
After entering both the NBA Draft and transfer portal, the forward from Oakland, California is reportedly down to a group of five programs. Which of them makes the most sense when it comes to both playing time and the ability to win next season? Here’s how I would rank the five finalists.
5. Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders got a new head coach in Grant McCasland and he’s a great fit with Johnson was a style standpoint. He was one of the best defensive coaches at North Texas and plays one of the slowest-paced offenses in the past few years. But for a player looking to enhance his role, that might not be appealing to the former Aztec.
And while the program is looking to round out its roster, they already have a few forwards that’ll compete with Johnson for minutes. Robert Jennings is back for his sophomore year, while Nevada transfer Darrion Williams is a combo forward. Plus, they already have Georgia mid-year transfer KyeRon Lindsay on the roster as well. It’s not a team that looks like an NCAA Tournament contender at the moment and Johnson has both better teams and more clear pathways to minutes elsewhere.