Syracuse Basketball: Dior Johnson ‘most creative scorer in country’

Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Dior Johnson is one of the top scorers in all of high-school basketball, regardless of class.

Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Dior Johnson, a five-star point guard who just enrolled in a new high school on the West Coast, is getting lauded by a recruiting expert as one of the most prolific scorers nationwide.

Travis Branham, a national analyst for 247Sports, recently published a piece where he looked at the top-five scorers throughout high-school basketball, with their class designation not coming into play.

The 6-foot-3 Johnson, who about a month ago left the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and will now suit up for an excellent team at Corona Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., is understandably included on Branham’s list.

By the way, Branham’s full ratings, in order, are 2022 small forward Emoni Bates, a Michigan State commit, 2021 shooting guard Jaden Hardy, who is undecided, Johnson, 2023 combo guard Mikey Williams, who is undecided, and 2022 point guard Bryce Griggs, who is undecided.

That Johnson is considered one of the premier bucket-getters around the country hopefully will excite Orange fans, and let’s just hope that he makes it to the Hill for at least one term, rather than forgoing college for a professional path.

A national analyst says that Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Dior Johnson is one of the best scorers in high-school hoops.

"Check out what Branham had to say about Johnson’s skill-set and overall talent level. Branham said that he “is the most dynamic ball-handler in the high school ranks and arguably the most creative scorer in the country. He may not be as physically impressive as Hardy or Bates but his ability to score and create off the bounce is second to none in high school. Johnson has an elite ability to break his man down off the bounce where he can get into an arsenal of moves from step-backs, to fade-aways, to dribble pull-ups or crafty finishes around the rim. The shifty guard fills it up from all three levels and will make for one heck of a pick-and-roll weapon.”"

If Johnson does arrive in Central New York for at least a year and has a solid supporting cast, he could help pave the way for head coach Jim Boeheim and the ‘Cuse program to significantly contend for an Atlantic Coast Conference crown, as well as a deep journey in March Madness.

At this juncture, I don’t see Johnson ranked any lower than No. 11 nationally in the 2022 class by the primary recruiting services, and he is rated as high as No. 3 overall in this cycle, according to 247Sports.