Five-star combo guard AJ Johnson began his high school career at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California but decided to transfer to Kanye West’s Donda Academy of Simi Valley, California for the 2022-2023 season. The thought of Johnson playing at the school built by creative artist and visionary Kanye West is an attractive reason to go there in and of itself.
But there are some concerning things such as the vague information on the website, the report of NDAs, and the fact that the school is not yet accredited which means that there is potential that the credits students earn there would not be recognized by colleges and universities.
However that is not the main concern of this article. Johnson’s talents on the basketball court most certainly are. His athletic capabilities have garnered himself a lot of attention from high profile schools and one of those schools is the University of Louisville. According to 247 Sports, Johnson is set to visit Louisville next weekend on October 21, 2022 for the Louisville Live event.
ESPN’s High School Scouting Expert, Adam Finkelstein had this to say about Johnson:
"“Johnson is an emerging big guard who is both in the midst of a rapid ascension and yet still possesses a wealth of untapped potential. There are tools in place to check all the boxes when it comes to positional size, length, athleticism, playmaking, and skill. Overall though, all the tools are in place for him to be one of the best players, not just guards, in the national class.”"
This is exciting news because as of now the Cardinals only have two hard commitments for the 2023 class in Curtis Williams Jr. and local talent Kaleb Glenn. But to give the coaching staff credit, the 2022-2023 basketball season hasn’t started yet.
Louisville looks to build on their foundation in adding the 6-foot-5 guard. However, the Cardinals do have a serious contender to land him and in the Texas Longhorns. Johnson visited Texas last month as well as LSU, but scheduled his visit with the Cardinals last. So Louisville does have this upcoming opportunity to sway him into committing to The Ville especially with an elite coaching staff that includes Head Coach Kenny Payne, Associate Head Coach Danny Manning, and Assistant Coach Nolan Smith.
In addition to those legendary names, Louisville Live’s hosts are former national champion Peyton Siva and former Louisville women’s basketball legend Angel McCoughtry. Two people who have left their impact on the city and Louisville and two local legends that any local fan would entrust in swaying someone to come to The Ville.