Recruiting: Meechie Johnson Reportedly Returning to Garfield Heights for Senior Year

OSU verbal commit is coming back home to play for his uncle, Sonny, who is the head coach at the Cleveland-suburb prep school

Future Ohio State basketball star Meechie Johnson is coming home for his final season of high school basketball.

Johnson's uncle, Sonny, is the head boys basketball coach at Garfield Heights High School on the east side of Cleveland. Sonny Johnson announced on his twitter page on Saturday morning that Meechie would be back home for his senior year.

Wow !!!! BLESS to have 1 of the top 30 players in the NATION & FUTURE Mr. Basketball candidate coming back home to play at GARFIELD. @AdamJardy @NEOhsSports @highmajorscoop @PrepHoopsOH @mgoul @usatodayhss @OSUHoopsInsider @NEO_Spotlight @BSnow247 @john_stovall @jakeweingarten pic.twitter.com/NTClJBk74R

— Sonny Johnson (@sonnyjohnson32) July 4, 2020

A 2021 Buckeye commit, Johnson announced several weeks ago that he would not be returning to International Sports Academy at Andrews-Osborne for the upcoming academic year. He never actually played there after he injured his knee in March 2019. Andrews-Osborne is based in Willoughby, Ohio, which is approximately 30 minutes northeast of Garfield Heights. It's believed that he will be immediately eligible under OHSAA rules to compete this school year.

Johnson played his freshman and sophomore seasons for his uncle and with his cousin Sonny Jr., who is a Penn State commit. In fact, Meechie Johnson has been a Buckeye verbal commit for several years already - he accepted a scholarship offer from Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann before he began his freshman year of high school in 2017. He's had a fabulous high school career when he's been healthy, but he missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Johnson recently returned to action for the Indy Heat travel program for a couple of showcase events in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was his first live action in over a year. Suffice it to say he looked comfortable back in  competition.

A pair of buckets each from Meechie Johnson and Kalen Etzler, who went 2-0 in their two games with the Indy Heat today. pic.twitter.com/FghOP0qIWc

— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) June 20, 2020

Johnson said he has grown three inches and put on 30 pounds since the knee injury, now checking in at 6-0 and 175 pounds. 247Sports Composite ranks Johnson the No. 3 overall prospect in Ohio for the class of 2021.

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