Kansas Jayhawks land Chris Johnson, the No. 24-ranked hoops player in class of 2023

Chris Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 180-pound senior point guard/shooting guard from Montverde (Florida) Academy, has announced plans to play college basketball at Kansas.

Johnson — he made an official recruiting visit to KU on July 25-27 — chose Bill Self’s Jayhawk program over Arkansas, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas, UConn, Auburn, TCU, Houston, Tennessee, UCLA, Creighton, Georgia and others.

He made the announcement Tuesday night on Instagram saying, “I’ll be taking my talents and commit and further my education at the University of Kansas.” He wore a KU T-shirt, and the Jayhawk fight song was played after he announced.

Johnson is the No. 24-ranked player in the recruiting class of 2023 according to ESPN.com, No. 32 by 247sports.com and No. 58 by Rivals.com.

Johnson — he is originally from Missouri City, Texas — plays for the Houston Defenders AAU team, which this summer won the Under Armour Circuit championship.

He explained his decision to On3.com: “I chose Kansas because everyone always says pick somewhere that wants you. They’ve been recruiting me hard from the beginning of the high school season. On my visit coach (Bill) Self sat down with me and broke down my film. He showed me how I can get better and how I would play in their offense. The visit just topped everything off. That’s been one of my dream schools my whole life and now that I’m committed there is just a blessing.”

He told Rivals.com after his campus visit: “They love my game and they’ve been on me since … pretty much a year and a half. I love that (KU) coaching staff.”

KU assistant coach Jeremy Case has been the lead recruiter for Johnson.

“He’s a real down-to-earth guy. He’s cool, but he lets you know the real. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. I like him,” Johnson said.

After Chris’ visit to KU, his dad Chester told Shay Wildeboor of Jayhawkslant.com: “Me, personally, as his father, I’m hoping that he does sign there. I don’t see another place that is going to treat him like he was treated and be real with him. One of the most winningest coaches ever and when you get that kind of publicity and somebody wants you like that, I don’t think you can ask for anything more.”

Johnson made just two official visits, to KU and LSU last winter. Since that visit, LSU has changed coaches.

Jamie Shaw of On3.com can see why KU recruited Johnson heavily.

“Kansas has had a lot of success with multiple point guards on the floor, especially when one of them has the size and touches the paint often. The stylistic fit is there,” Shaw wrote in a recent article.

Johnson played his junior season of high school basketball at Elkins High in Fort Bend, Texas.

“Fort Bend Elkins combo guard Chris Johnson may be one of the most versatile guards in the 2023 class based on his great size and developing skills — a scorer, defender and passer,” wrote Jodie Jiles of defendernetwork.com. “Chris is a streaky shooter that may miss a shot here and there but will turn around and hit four or five shots in a row from mid-range and three-point land. When attacking the basket, Chris has a collection of acrobatic moves where one would think he is taking a difficult shot until he releases the ball with finesse,” added Jiles.

“Johnson’s stamina and motor allow him to play a complete game non-stop, maintaining a Russell Westbrook run and gun pace throughout games for his offensive sets. On defense his anticipation to intercept passes is steadily improving to match his God gifted reach. And if that weren’t enough, Chris is a true student of the game and his work ethic consistently shows it. Anyone that keeps up with AAU basketball will tell you this kid is putting in that Mamba Mentality work it takes to be a professional someday,” Jiles noted.

Elkins coach Albert Thomas told defendernetwork.com: “He is a mixture of offensive abilities as a scorer but then he is also a guy that can distribute and find players. He has a very high IQ where he picks and chooses whether to use one or the other. He is always one of the first ones in the gym and whenever I say there is going to be a practice time Chris is going to be there because he loves the game and loves to play.”

Eric Bossi of 247sports.com also commented on Johnson’s game: “Johnson is a big guard with size and strength alike. 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,” Bossi said. “He needs to keep progressing as a three-point threat with both inconsistent mechanics and a bit of a hard ball. Defensively, he has tools that should eventually be able to translate at a high level, although he has yet to make that end of the floor a consistent priority. Overall, he is confident, physical, and plays with an edge, that can be either a competitive advantage or disadvantage depending on how it is impacting him.”

Johnson is the first player to commit to KU in the recruiting class of 2023. KU has at least two scholarships to give in seniors Cam Martin and Kevin McCullar.