Syracuse basketball fans nervous about Dior Johnson Oak Hill departure

Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Dior Johnson has left the Oak Hill Academy, but he has not withdrawn from the prep school, according to a report.

Syracuse basketball fans eagerly, yet nervously, await 2022 commit Dior Johnson suiting up on the Hill. I say nervously, because there is always the possibility that the 6-foot-3, five-star point guard ultimately decides to head straight to the professional ranks from high school.

So when Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com broke the story on Wednesday afternoon that Johnson has left the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., that didn’t sit well with Orange fans on social media.

Johnson, as we noted in a recent story, is dealing with a stress fracture in his foot, an injury that is reportedly not considered serious. Mike Waters of Syracuse.com had previously reported that Johnson’s foot was expected to remain in a cast for several weeks, but the elite prospect planned to return to action before the Oak Hill Academy’s first game of the upcoming season, scheduled for Oct. 27.

The latest development reported on by Ditota certainly leaves Syracuse basketball fans wondering what Johnson’s status is with the Oak Hill Academy, and some ‘Cuse fanatics like myself will continually feel a tad uneasy about whether Johnson will ever compete for the Orange.

Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Dior Johnson has left the Oak Hill Academy, and whether he goes back is unclear.

A native of Saugerties, N.Y., Johnson transferred to the Oak Hill Academy, one of the top prep-school programs in the country, from Mayfair High School in Lakewood, Calif.

He is universally deemed a five-star player by all of the primary recruiting services, as well as the No. 3 prospect nationally in the 2022 class per 247Sports and the No. 4 guy at Rivals.com.

Johnson has said in the past that while he’s considered a possible reclassification to the 2021 recruiting cycle, he has proven more focused on the upcoming campaign with the Oak Hill Academy.

According to Ditota’s piece, citing Oak Hill Academy head coach Steve Smith, Johnson has gone home, “in part to seek another medical opinion,” but he “has not withdrawn from school.”

"“He’s at home,” Smith told Ditota. “Whether he’s coming back, I don’t know. He left campus and went home. He’s with his mother. I really can’t say much else.”"

Smith added, “It’s an administrative decision and his decision about whether he comes back.”

For what it’s worth, Johnson is still listed as a member of the Oak Hill Academy’s roster on the squad’s Web site. Personally, I just hope that everything is okay with Dior, and we’ll of course keep on monitoring this situation.