Kaleb Johnson Commits to Georgetown

2015 SF Kaleb Johnson of Carlisle (VA) has verbally committed to Georgetown, per his coach.

— Alex Kline (@TheRecruitScoop) January 28, 2015

New highlight reel too!

Kaleb Johnson Mixtape @ The Bluegrass Showcase from Johnny Hines on Vimeo.

Kaleb Johnson:

After huge wins over Butler and Villanova, expectations are building for this year's Georgetown team.  With standout freshmen Isaac Copeland, Paul White, L.J. Peak, and Tre Campbell showing signs of great potential, it is easy to see that the future of the program is bright, but the team still needs to add additional pieces to fill out the roster.  Here's a profile of Kaleb Johnson, one of Georgetown's few remaining recruiting targets in the Class of 2015.

Basic Information:

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 185 pounds

Year: High School Senior

School: Martinsville School (Virginia)

Recruiting Profile: Class of 2015

ESPN: 4-star recruit, #100 prospect

Rivals: 3-star recruit, not in the Rivals150

247Sports: 3-star recruit, #203 prospect

Scouting Report:

Johnson is an athletic left-handed wing with a versatile skill-set.  A co-captain of a talented Martinsville team, he has shown the ability to score from all three levels of the floor.  Although like many high school players he needs to improve his consistency as a long-range shooter, he has a high basketball IQ and solid ball-handling ability which helps him create mismatch problems for many defenders.  In addition, Johnson has put a number of high school defenders on posters with thunderous dunks. His combination of skills makes him a potential contributor at the high-major level.

Recruitment:

Johnson was a mostly anonymous recruit until recently. He jumped into the most recent edition of the ESPN Top 100, and has been making a name for himself with strong play in recent months. A classic late-blooming recruit, Johnson could be a valuable spring addition to Georgetown's class of 2015, joining Jessie Govan and Marcus Derrickson.

Along with several other recruits, Johnson attended Georgetown's Midnight Madness in October.  It does not appear that John Thompson III has extended a scholarship offer as of now, but it seems as though he is on the Hoyas' list for a late addition to the class.  Johnson's offers include Tennessee, South Carolina, Auburn, and Oklahoma State, a set of respectable programs, but if Georgetown were to get seriously involved, it seems that JT3 and the staff would have a decent chance of landing him.

Potential Fit:

The Hoyas could use an athletic wing for next season's roster. Jabril Trawick and Aaron Bowen, two current fixtures in the rotation, will each graduate after this year, and Johnson could help fill that void.

If Johnson's guard skills continue to improve, he could help a team that is a bit short on ball-handlers for next season. Barring something unforeseen, D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Tre Campbell, and L.J. Peak will return, but the Hoyas don't have any guards to fill out the rotation.  Smith-Rivera, Campbell, and Peak should be able to handle the bulk of the 80 guard minutes that will be available, but if someone suffers an injury or another unfortunate circumstance, the team would be in a bind.  Paul White has shown excellent ball-handling ability for a 6'8" forward, but it would be uncomfortable for the Hoyas to have to play White in a full-time guard role. As a freshman, Johnson might be able to play spot minutes right away, depending on his development.

Even if Johnson isn't ready to play major minutes upon his arrival on the Hilltop, there would not be too much pressure for him to make an immediate impact. In addition to the three returning guards, White, Isaac Copeland, Marcus Derrickson, and (maybe) Reggie Cameron should be available for minutes on the wing. Still, additional depth is always a good thing, and Johnson's athleticism and versatility could make him a good fit in Georgetown's offense. He could be effective as an off-ball cutter, a critical element of JT3's system.

Verdict:

As the Hoyas graduate four seniors after this season (Bowen, Trawick, Joshua Smith and Mikael Hopkins), the team will need to bring in some reinforcements for next season.  JT3 has already added Govan, Derrickson, and Louisville transfer Akoy Agau to next year's roster, but Johnson could add some positional balance and depth to the class. The new additions to the roster would bring significant length, size, and athleticism to the roster, and could help complement a potentially great 2015-16 Hoyas team.

After the Hoyas missed out on recruits like Dwayne Bacon, Allonzo Trier, and Perry Dozier among others, I believe Johnson would be a worthy fit for one of the team's two remaining scholarships. In my opinion, there is some value in targeting recruits who are trending upward, and Johnson certainly displays significant potential for future improvement. I think this kid could surprise a lot of people whether or not he decides to come to Georgetown.

Still, I do think Johnson needs to polish his game if he were to make an immediate impact on next year's team. His career might resemble Aaron Bowen's in that he could sit on the bench behind players like Peak, White, and Copeland before assuming a larger role in his later years, but he does have the potential to be a valuable contributor before his time as a collegiate player is over.

Gratuitous Dunking Highlight: