Findlay Prep’s Carlos Johnson commits to UNLV

By Taylor Bern

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 | 3:01 p.m.

UNLV’s connection to Findlay Prep got a little stronger today as class of 2016 wing Carlos Johnson became the latest Pilot to commit to the Rebels.

“I choose UNLV because it is a great fit for me and my family and I love the city of Las Vegas,” Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson recently transferred to Findlay Prep. He played last season at El Cerrito High near Berkeley, Calif., where he averaged 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Last summer, he played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League for the Oakland Soldiers, the same team UNLV freshman Stephen Zimmerman Jr. played on during his final summer season.

Johnson is a tough player who will bring a defensive mentality and depth along the perimeter to UNLV. With former Findlay Prep forward Justin Jackson and guard Christian Vital already committed in the class of 2016, the Rebels don’t currently have an open scholarship.

However, over the last four seasons, UNLV hasn’t had any fewer than two players leave with eligibility remaining.

Zimmerman is a potential one-and-done player and with such a deep roster, it’s all but a guarantee that at least one person isn’t going to be happy with their playing time.

UNLV will continue to pursue other players in the class of 2016, including top guard Kobi Simmons.

Johnson joins a swelling list of Findlay Prep products to make the short move north to UNLV’s campus. Freshman guard Jalen Poyser played at Findlay before finishing his prep career back in Canada, and recent No. 17 overall pick Rashad Vaughn played a year for the Pilots before leading UNLV in scoring during his lone season.

Others include Christian Wood, Anthony Bennett and Carlos Lopez-Sosa.