A.J. Johnson, a five-star prospect from Fresno, California, told ESPN on Thursday that he has decommited from Texas and will sign with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League.
Johnson signed a letter of intent in November and was set to begin playing with the Longhorns next season. He has changed course and will instead play professionally in Australia, becoming the highest-ranked prospect to do so since LaMelo Ball during the 2019-20 season.
The 6-foot-5 guard of the Southern California Academy was ranked 15th in the class of 2023 by 247Sports and is considered a potential first-round pick next year. He is highly touted for his ability as a ballhandler and scorer, and his willingness to get his teammates involved.
ESPN Reporting with @DraftExpress: California high school guard AJ Johnson – a projected 2024 NBA Draft lottery pick – has decommitted from Texas and signed a deal with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL: https://t.co/vGwl3hgj0o
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 13, 2023
The NBL has helped produce several first-round picks in recent memory, including Ball, Ousmane Dieng, Josh Giddey and RJ Hampton. The league is viewed as a great route to help prepare players with aspirations of playing in the NBA given its physicality and overall competition level.
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