Johnson leaves Las Vegas with good impression of UNLV program

By Ryan Greene

Published Monday, June 8, 2009 | 12:22 p.m.

Updated Monday, June 8, 2009 | 7:43 p.m.

While he didn't drop everything and commit on the spot, Noel Johnson came away with nothing but positives from his weekend visit to UNLV.

Johnson, a 6-foot-7 wing from Fayette County High in suburban Atlanta, is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 53 prospect in the 2009 class and the No. 2 remaining unsigned senior.

"It was a good visit," Johnson said Monday evening. "They had a nice campus, nice coaches and a good basketball team, so I liked it."

Johnson's weekend included plenty of time spent with Lon Kruger and his staff, former Rebels guard Kevin Kruger and current UNLV senior Steve 'Chopper' Jones.

He said he had an opportunity to watch the current Rebels play pick-up ball, while the coaches showed him on film just where he can fit in and help out right away.

"They were pointing out spots where they'd probably need me on the offensive end, spot-up shooting or creating at the basket," Johnson said. "(Jones) was saying how I could play a key role with next year's team, both offensively and defensively, and how much coach Kruger talks about me."

Lynbert 'Cheese' Johnson, Noel's father and a longtime friend of UNLV assistant Lew Hill, said the family will sit down either later this week or at some point next week to come to a decision. His wife, Angie, accompanied their son on the visit.

It was the second visit Johnson took since de-committing from USC, and there will probably be a few more. Noel said he plans on visiting Xavier and Louisiana State, and will probably plan one more.

Noel was more than familiar with Las Vegas before this weekend, having played the past several years in the annual adidas Super 64 AAU tournament with the prestigious Atlanta Celtics.

However, he said he learned more about the history of the UNLV program than he'd known prior, including the fact that the Rebels have the fourth highest winning percentage in NCAA Division-I men's basketball history, behind only Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas.

"I played there the past four years," he said of his experience with the Celtics. "Recently, I could really see myself playing for the Rebels."

Johnson averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists last year for Fayette County High, which went 21-8, including a 14-game win streak before having its season ended by Miller Grove.

He's proven to be an effective 3-point shooter. He connected on 58 of 177 attempts a year ago (32.8 percent). He hit 82 3-point attempts as a junior while averaging 23.8 points and 8.4 boards.

Johnson was originally part of a spectacular recruiting class put together by Tim Floyd at Southern Cal, which included fellow top prospects Solomon Hill and Renardo Sidney. But with the impending fallout from Floyd's alleged cash payment of $1,000 to a handler of former guard O.J. Mayo, all three have since either de-committed or been granted releases from signed letters of intent.

The addition last month of Kansas transfer Quintrell Thomas left the Rebels with one open scholarship for the upcoming season. They also got a verbal pledge from Houston center Henry Buckley, who will attend prep school in North Carolina next season before coming to UNLV in time for the 2010-11 campaign, putting his name with the lone scholarship the Rebels had to give for that class.

If UNLV does not land a commitment from Johnson, their open scholarship for this season will roll over towards the 2010 class. If they do get Johnson, however, the only way to add players in the 2010 class would be with a current player leaving.

For more on this story as it develops, stay tuned to www.lasvegassun.com/rebels.