Recruiting Report: Xavier Johnson (2019)
In today’s game, the term “old school floor general” doesn’t get thrown around as often, but that’s exactly what Xavier Johnson is. A rising junior point guard at Episcopal High School, Johnson has started and been a major contributor for the Maroon since his freshman year.
“I would describe myself as a pass first guard, and I like to make my teammates better. I am a good defender on and off the ball. I also have the ability to shoot the ball,” said Johnson, who on a VISAA D1 state title as a freshman. “I think one thing people don’t see is my true ability to score the ball.”
Last season, we saw Johnson erupt for a personal-best 30 points in a win over IAC rival St. Stephens & St. Agnes. He recorded 8 steals, four assists, hit three trey’s, and went 5 of 5 from the line in that game. Two things we admire about Johnson is that he shoots a high percentage from the foul line (made 91 of 101 attempts), and rarely turns the ball over. He’s very unselfish, and can also defend at a very high level.
“I think the most improved part of my game over the last 12 months is my aggressiveness on both sides of the floor and also my communication and leadership skills,” said Johnson, who has started while playing up for 17U Team BBC on the Adidas Gauntlet this summer. “I think the next part of my game is continuing to get stronger, working on my aggressiveness, and my leadership.”
Johnson is a strong student in the classroom, where he gets A’s and B’s, but does not know his exact GPA. A variety of division one schools, including Richmond, Rice, UPenn, George Mason, George Washington, Elon, Columbia, University of Charleston, NJIT, Mount St. Mary’s, and Holy Cross, have expressed interest in recruiting the reliable lead guard. What can he bring to a college program?
“I think I can bring my ability to score, and make my teammates better. Also playing hard all the time.”