Syracuse Basketball: Dior Johnson news may hinder chances w/ Zion Cruz

Should Syracuse basketball commit Dior Johnson not come back to Oak Hill, that could affect the Orange’s recruiting of Zion Cruz.

It’s up in the air at this juncture whether Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Dior Johnson will ultimately return to the national prep-school powerhouse where he planned to play alongside Orange 2022 high-priority target Zion Cruz this upcoming season.

As we noted in a recent column, the 6-foot-5 Cruz has said that he’s looked forward to suiting up with five-star point guard Johnson at the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., “for a long time.”

Johnson, the No. 3 prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports, has left the Oak Hill Academy, and it’s not clear if he will return.

Back in February, Johnson committed to Syracuse basketball, saying that he would bring other elite recruits with him to the Hill. One of those possible top-flight talents is Cruz, whom the main recruiting services rate as a five-star, top-25 player in the class of 2022.

Should Syracuse basketball commit Dior Johnson not play for Oak Hill, the Orange’s recruitment of Zion Cruz may get impacted.

If Johnson doesn’t compete for the Oak Hill Academy in the upcoming campaign, that could make it more challenging for him to potentially help recruit Cruz to Central New York as well.

Then again, Cruz has an extensive list of scholarship offers from other high-major programs, so the ‘Cuse faces an uphill battle to land him regardless of Johnson’s status as Cruz’s high-school teammate.

Cruz had said in a recent interview with Rivals.com that he sees himself as more of a point guard than a combo guard, which is interesting, because Johnson is a point guard, too. Johnson, though, has acknowledged that he’s considered a possible reclassify into the 2021 class.

By extension, if Johnson did reclassify, it’s feasible he only stays at the ‘Cuse for one year, which means that he and Cruz would miss each other.

Should Johnson move to the 2021 cycle and play for Syracuse basketball for two stanzas, he and Cruz could suit up for one term together, and what a formidable backcourt that this pair would make.

A few months ago, Johnson and Cruz, two of the best players across the country in the 2022 class, revealed that they would transfer to the Oak Hill Academy – Johnson from Mayfair High School in Lakewood, Calif., and Cruz from Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City, N.J.

Let’s hope that Johnson returns to the Oak Hill Academy and shines along with Cruz in the upcoming season. It would prove stellar if the duo could compete for a national title in high school, and then also for an NCAA championship with the Orange.