New York native Dior Johnson leads promising Syracuse future
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (BVM) — Dior Johnson is one of the top basketball prospects in the nation and the future Syracuse Orange guard has recently switched schools in hopes of taking his game to the next level.
Attending Mayfair High School in Lakewood, Calif., the sophomore guard was a key contributor for the Monsoons, along with All-American teammate Josh Christopher. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 23.3 points per game and 4.9 assists in 27 games at Mayfield.
Johnson lit up the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section in his sophomore year, leading the Monsoons to a Division I quarterfinals game against No. 1-seeded Windward. Although Mayfair would come up short, Johnson would score 33 points in the team’s 67-65 loss.
The Kingston, N.Y., native has bounced around to a couple different schools recently, with his most recent change coming this summer in a move to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Johnson has played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and Saugerties Senior in Ulster County, N.Y.
Oak Hill is known for its development of young basketball players with a star-studded resume featuring the likes of Carmelo Anthony and soon-to-be first-round NBA draft pick, Cole Anthony.
Like former Oak Hill and Syracuse alum Carmelo Anthony, Johnson is following in the NBA star’s footsteps, committing to the Orange back in February after a long connection to the school. Johnson, the No. 5 overall player in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports, pointed to his familiarity with the program in his explanation of his commitment.
100% pic.twitter.com/8IVNtbWlsp
— Dior Johnson (@3Diorjohnson) February 7, 2020
“Through blood, sweat and tears,” Johnson wrote on a Twitter post announcing his commitment. “Late nights staying in the gym, working on my craft, I’ve learned that no matter what, you have to make decisions where you see yourself thriving the most. So with that being said, I’m blessed to be committed to Syracuse University. I love the coaching staff as we’ve been building a strong relationship since I’ve been in the seventh grade. They’ve always made sure I was a priority at all times and watched me develop from then, to where I’m at now. This feels like home for me as I will have an opportunity to build my own legacy and have the dome rocking every night!”
Having attended Syracuse-run camps since the seventh grade, Johnson has gotten to know the men’s basketball coaching staff well. The Oak Hill junior even played on the same AAU team as Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s son, Buddy. Johnson is the first hard commit that Syracuse has gotten for the Class of 2022.
