Illawarra Hawks Next Star: Brand-New While AJ Johnson decided to decommit from the NCAA’s Texas Longhorns, he considered the accomplishments of NBL Next Star graduates, including Josh Giddey and LaMelo Ball.
Ball made headlines in 2020 as an NBL Rookie of the Year winner while playing for the Hawks. In just his second season with the Charlotte Hornets, he was named an NBA All-Star.
Giddey, who was named the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2021, scored 31 points, dished out 10 assists, and pulled down nine rebounds in Thursday’s Play-In win over New Orleans for OKC.
“I think our styles are similar in that we both enjoy playing off feel and just making plays in space,” Johnson said.
“I’m attempting to follow his and Giddey’s lead, and I believe that as a result, they entered the league far more equipped than many other players.
“In order to truly focus on the game and strive to be the best player I can be, I also want to start my professional career and take it more seriously.”
Many people in the American basketball world were surprised by Texas’ choice to decommit, especially considering the program’s history and the possibility that Johnson would play significant minutes the following season.
Johnson claims that moving to Australia was prompted by the NBL’s increased “freedom.”
The atmosphere at college is less about letting loose and having fun and more about following rules and regulations, he claimed. “I think I do better in an up-and-down system where I can make more shots and play off feel, but I still have to rely on actions and other stuff like that.
“I love coach (Rodney) Terry, that’s my guy,” Johnson remarked, admitting that it was a difficult choice. “I would absolutely want to be coached by him if I were going to college, and I would absolutely attend Texas.
“I simply thought that going the pro route was the right choice for me.”
Johnson has teamed up with former Melbourne United attacker Mason Peatling and former UC Riverside star Lachlan Olbrich.
