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Johnny Juzang just took a big step in his recruitment.
Juzang is ranked as the No. 21 player in the 2020 recruiting class by the 247 Sports composite rankings. However, he just announced that he will be leaving high school a year early and will join the 2019 class, he announced on Instagram.
As a member of the 2019 class, Juzang will likely come in ranked around No. 20. He is a 6-6 forward that can get score in a variety of ways. He can get to the basket, has a very mature mid-range game, and has shown himself to be an excellent three-point shooter for his size.
“He’s a good-sized wing with impressive scoring ability,” recruiting expert Evan Daniels recently told the Herald-Leader. “I think, long term, he’s going to develop into a really good long-range shooter. He can score. And that’s what he brings to the table is just a natural knack for scoring.”
Juzang averaged 23 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting over 43% from deep in his junior season of high school basketball, and is now playing on the Adidas circuit with Compton Magic. He is a hot name in recruiting circles right now, as rumors of his reclassification have really ramped up in recent weeks.
Some may question Kentucky’s pursuit of Juzang with Dontaie Allen, Kahlil Whitney, and Keion Brooks all coming in to play the wing position. This has more to do with getting better shooting on the roster than anything.
Whitney and Allen are really true small forwards, and Brooks is more of a three/four player, but Juzang would be able to come in and slide into the shooting guard role as needed. He would also immediately be the most dangerous three-point threat on the roster.
This is the first official release that Juzang has released to the public, and Kentucky is now in great shape for the five-star recruit, especially since he’ll be taking an official visit to Lexington beginning Monday, April 29th.
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