Keldon Johnson a semifinalist for Naismith Award

Nearly everyone plugged into the recruiting world has known that Keldon Johnson is one of the top high school basketball players in the country.

The future Wildcat recently added some more evidence to that claim by being named one of 10 semifinalists for the prestigious Naismith Boys High School National Player of the Year, which was announced Tuesday.

The other semifinalists include R.J. Barrett (Duke), Bol Bol (Oregon), Darius Garland (Vanderbilt), Quentin Grimes (Kansas), Tre Jones (Duke), Romeo Langford (uncommitted), Nassir Little (North Carolina), Cameron Reddish (Duke) and Zion Williamson (Duke).

Johnson has had a senior season to remember, averaging more than 20 points per game to go along with nearly six rebounds, three assists, and 2.5 steals per game as a leader on an Oak Hill (Va.) squad that is one of the best in the country and sits at 35-0.

Johnson, who also was recently named as a McDonalds All-American, is ranked 13th in the country by the 247 Sports Composite but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take a step up when new rankings come out.

Finalists for the Naismith Award are expected to be announced next week.

Previous award winners include Michael Porter Jr (2017), Lonzo Ball (2016), Ben Simmons (2015), and Cliff Alexander (2014). The last Wildcat to win the award was Ron Mercer in 1995.