Wednesday, October 10, 2012
SG Darin Johnson looks back on UW trip
By Mason Kelley
When Darin Johnson looks at Washington’s basketball team, he sees a program that produces pros.
The ability for Washington to turn out pros like Tony Wroten Jr. is a big part of the program's appeal to Darin Johnson.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard (Sacramento, Calif./Sheldon) sees Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten Jr. preparing for their rookie seasons. He sees second-year guard Isaiah Thomas playing well for the Sacramento Kings. Johnson sees the success of those players and looks at the Huskies’ coaching staff as a group that does a good job developing guards.
“They have produced a lot of pros,” Johnson said. “They develop guards that come into their program. That’s big, not only getting to the next level, but to also develop them, so when they get to the next level they actually do something.”
The senior also likes the Huskies' up-tempo style. He sees Washington as a good fit, which is why the program in his final four, joining Oregon, Texas A&M and San Diego State.
He has taken all of his visits and plans to sign in November. He is coming close to a decision.
“I took all my visits, so I’m feeling pretty confident,” Johnson said.
He recently joined UW commit Nigel Williams-Goss (Henderson, Nev./Findlay College Prep) and Aaron Gordon (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) on an official visit to Washington.
The prospects spent time with the coaching staff, played paintball, watched a workout and attended a volleyball match.
“I loved it,” Johnson said. “It was a good experience to go out there and see what they have to offer. It’s a beautiful campus, a beautiful city. I really enjoyed it.
“We all got along, felt that good vibe,” Johnson said. “It was actually a good experience being able to hang with them for a weekend.”
As Johnson wraps up the recruiting process, he continues to prepare for a strong senior season.
“I’m just trying to get better in every aspect of my game, just keep improving, try to get more chemistry with the team that we have here at Sheldon,” he said. “I feel like we have an outstanding team and I feel like we’re going to make some noise.”
