SoCalHoops Recruiting News

SDSU Signs Crenshaw's Tommy
Johnson, LA City POY --(April 17, 2001)

Completing one of the strangest recruiting sagas we can recall in recent memory, San Diego State on Monday announced the signing to a National Letter of Intent of LA Crenshaw's Tommy Johnson (6'-3" Sr. SG).   Those who have followed his recruiting already know the strange story, but here it is in brief:   Johnson began his high school career at Crenshaw, transferred to Fairfax, but transferred back to Crenshaw where as a senior in the 1999-2000 season, he was named the Los Angeles City Section Player of the Year.  Johnson signed with Washington State out of Crenshaw, along with his high school teammate, point guard E.J. Harris.  Both players made their way up to Pullman, Washington, and enrolled in classes. . . . er, sort of.  It seemed that Tommy had not "officially" graduated from high school,   thus voiding his NLI, and there was a "problem" with his transcripts being sent to Washington State,  so Tommy was forced to withdraw from Washington State.  He returned to the Los Angeles area, and he reportedly has enrolled at Crenshaw's Adult night school where he is taking classes to complete his high school graduation requirements.  In the meantime, he has been playing for Rick Issac's "H-Squad" club team, a loaded squad with a lot of high-level athletes and a number of other potential D-I players.

Rumors have been circulating for weeks now that Tommy had "secretly" committed to the Aztecs, and while there's no such thing as a "secret" in LA recruiting circles, his signing comes as no surprise.  So, SDSU has now received the NLI. . . but the big question still remains:  Will he qualify, and will he stay eligible?  We certainly hope so, because he's just a great, pure talent, a player who strokes the ball effortlessly, plays with what we'd call an "economy of motion," never wasting a step.  He's an excellent defender, active, big and strong, and he's a great addition to coach Steve Fisher's team.   Here's the official press release from San Diego State University announcing the signing of Tommy Johnson:

San Diego State Announces Second Signee for
2001-02 Basketball Season

The 6-4 guard listed among the top 100 recruits in the nation.

April 16, 2001

SAN DIEGO - San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher announced that Tommy Johnson, a 6-4, 190-pound guard from Los Angeles, has signed a national letter of intent to enroll at San Diego State University and play basketball for the Aztecs next season. 

Johnson, listed as one of the top 100 high school seniors by The Recruiting Beat, averaged 17 points and six rebounds as a senior at Crenshaw High in 1999-2000, where he was named the 2000 Los Angeles city player of the year. Johnson, who originally signed with Washington State in the fall of 1999 before staying at Crenshaw High to concentrate on academics, chose San Diego State over Michigan, Boston College, Wyoming and Washington State. 

"Tommy Johnson brings a great many qualities to San Diego State," Fisher said. "His reputation gives our program a great deal of credibility in Los Angeles. But more importantly, he is an outstanding athlete, an exceptional scorer and a winner. He does whatever is necessary to help his team to win." 

Johnson was ranked by several prep services as the number two shooting guard in the 2000 southern California prep class, behind DeShawn Stevenson, who bypassed college and went directly from Washington Union High in Fresno, Calif., to the National Basketball Association's Utah Jazz. 

Johnson is the second player to ink with the Aztecs during the spring signing period. Last week, Trimaine Davis, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from Bay Point, Calif., became the first player to sign with San Diego State for the upcoming season. 

San Diego State finished the 2000-01 season at 14-14, marking just the second .500 or better record for the Aztecs in the last 16 seasons. In Fisher's second season at San Diego State, the Aztecs were one of the five most improved teams in the country, according to the Sagarin Ratings and enjoyed a 73.3 percent attendance increase over the 1999-2000 campaign. 

Steve Fisher's first full recruiting class at San Diego State in 1999-2000, was rated as one of the 40 classes nationally and featured the The Sporting News Mountain West Conference Newcomer of the Year and United States Basketball Writers Association District 9 member Randy Holcomb. 

San Diego State returns eight of its top nine scorers for the 2001-02 season. The signing period continues through May 15. 

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