Kansas Basketball 2023 Recruiting Profiles: Chris Johnson

The guard brings athleticism and size after spending the last year playing against some of the best high school competition in the country.

A wing position that already lacked depth this year is even more of a question mark next year as Kevin McCullar and (likely) Gradey Dick are off to the pros and MJ Rice just hit the transfer portal.

So, Bill Self looked to the freshman class to fill that void while recruiting and came back with two four-star wings. Our freshman profile series continues with the first of those wings, Chris Johnson.

Player overview

Listed as a combo guard, Johnson stands 6-4, 180 pounds and is the No. 37 overall player in his class and No. 11 at his position, according to 247Sports. He has also been mentored from a young age by former Texas great T.J. Ford while growing up in the Houston area.

Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and five assists as a junior at Elkin High School in Texas before spending his senior year playing against top competition at Montverde Academy in Florida. He played 17 minutes per game for a team that went 23-2 and was the No. 1 team in Florida and averaged six points and 3.7 assists. Johnson also played on the Houston Defenders AAU team that won the Under Armour Circuit championship last summer.

Johnson had plenty of suitors. He received offers from Alabama, Arkansas, UCONN, Creighton, Texas, UCLA, LSU, and more. Jeremy Case was the lead recruiter, who bonded with Johnson early, and as Johnson wrote for Sports Illustrated, the visit was a resounding success:

“When I went on my visit last week, it was literally a family. All of the players and the coaches were on the same page, and you could tell that it was a genuine brotherhood. I got to see all of the history there, and then with them just winning the natty it was a different level in every way. The visit was 10 out of 10.”

Analyst scouting report

Like Jackson, Johnson’s offensive strength right now is inside the arc. As 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein points out, “He changes speeds, protects the ball at a high level going through the lane, and can score the ball in numerous ways inside the arc.” Finkelstein also noted that defense didn’t appear to be much of a “priority” for Johnson, but I can guarantee that will change.

But his size and strength give him a strong starting point, along with a few intangibles also found in Jackson. Jamie Shaw of On3db calls out “the IQ to make a read with what the defense gives him,” and “a sense of toughness.”

And what about Self? In a press release announcing the signees, Self says: “He’s 6’4” and much like Elmarko, very versatile, can score, get his own shot but at the same time be a distributor. The thing that people rave about with him is that he could be an elite defender, an elite collegiate defender.” If anyone can get it out of him, it’s Self.

How he fits

The wing is wide open for players to take jobs. Johnson and likely a transfer — unless Dick comes back — are the front runners. Which is to say, playing time might not be an issue but also Kansas needs Johnson to be good early.

But what is exciting about Johnson is he is a good enough ball handler — he played point guard in high school — that KU is going to have multiple guys who are great with the ball in their hands.

As to where he fits specially, there’s some wiggle room there, meaning the Jayhawks can use Johnson’s versatility to their advantage. Or as Johnson put it in that Sports Illustrated article:

“What I really loved about Kansas is that they really let their guards hoop. They like guards who can guard 1–4, and that’s me all day. They want me to go out there and be myself. They see me as a combo guard, but in their system, it’s really position-less. That’s one of the best parts about it.”