Keldon Johnson, No. 7 recruit in ESPN 100, commits to Kentucky
— -- Top-10 prospect Keldon Johnson?announced his commitment to the? Kentucky Wildcats?on Saturday.
"Next year I'll be attending the University of Kentucky," Johnson said before Oak Hill Academy's game against Bristol Prep (Tenn.).
Johnson chose the Wildcats over Texas, Maryland and NC State. He took official visits to all four schools in September. Kentucky turned up the heat on Johnson in late August, extending a scholarship offer after his unofficial visit to the Lexington campus.
The Wildcats had shown interest prior to the offer, but once it looked like an uphill battle for top prospects R.J. Barrett (No. 1) and Cam Reddish (No. 3), they increased their pursuit.
Johnson, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Oak Hill Academy (Va.), is ranked No. 7 in the ESPN 100 for 2018, slotting in as the No. 3 small forward behind the Duke-bound duo of Barrett and Reddish.
Johnson was one of the best scorers on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer, averaging 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Boo Williams AAU program. He's capable of big single-game efforts, as evidenced by three outings with 30 or more points.
John Calipari and Kentucky now have two high-level prospects in the fold, with Johnson joining five-star point guard Immanuel Quickley (No. 12) in the two-man class.
Johnson's commitment also continues the Calipari vs. Mike Krzyzewski recruiting battle, as either Duke or Kentucky has finished with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country every year since 2013.
Of the six top-12 prospects currently committed in 2018, three of them are heading to Duke and two are headed to Kentucky.
The two schools are still both involved for Zion Williamson (No. 2), while Kentucky is also pursuing Bol Bol (No. 4), Quentin Grimes (No. 13), Moses Brown (No. 17) and Tyler Herro (No. 27).
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