New York native Dior Johnson makes switch to Oregon
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (BVM) — Dior Johnson has been one of the most coveted recruits in the country after announcing his decision to decommit from Syracuse University back in November. The Class of 2022’s No. 1 point guard has finally found his next home as he will head to the University of Oregon.
Johnson, a native of New York, grew up in Saugerties, N.Y. before bouncing around to different schools and programs through his journey on the court. The then-seventh-grader played varsity basketball at Saugerties Senior in Ulster County, N.Y., before moving on to powerhouse basketball programs like Findlay Prep, IMG and Oak Hill Academy as he moved up the national rankings.
2022 five-star Dior Johnson tells me he’s committed to Oregon. 🦆 pic.twitter.com/yn88WvzCtK
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 22, 2021
He has most recently settled down in California where he’s spent the last two seasons at Mayfair High School and Centennial High School. The decision to attend Oregon will keep Johnson on the West Coast after moving around over the past couple of years.
The commitment to a different collegiate program will leave Syracuse with the loss of its highest recruit since Carmelo Anthony. Johnson, like Anthony, attended Oak Hill Academy, with the Orange hoping to bring in a similar caliber of player. The decision back in the winter wasn’t a surprise for Syracuse who mutually agreed to move on after both sides spoke.
The New York native becomes the first player from his class to commit to the University of Oregon and is one of the few five-star recruits to commit so far. He will be looking to get back to a more normal schedule in the upcoming season after the pandemic affected much of the basketball season around the country.
