Making the Case: Morez Johnson is McDonald’s All-American

Scott Burgess October 11, 2023 @ 04:00 PM

One of the prospects creating the most buzz among national evaluators right now is Thornton 2024 power forward Morez Johnson Morez Johnson 6'9" | PF Thornton | 2024 State #33 Nation IL . He has seen a steady rise throughout his career and is now putting himself squarely in the conversation for McDonald's All-American Game selection. Yes we might be a little biased covering him for the last three years, but in our eyes he absolutely has EARNED to be a McDonald's All-American.

Johnson has been our radar from even before he entered high school as during the covid fall we saw him play in a fall league where he shined with his athleticism and upside. That along with his relentless motor has been his calling card from day one. Johnson has become one of the truly elite rebounders in the country with his time playing for St. Rita his first three years of high school and then on the Nike EYBL Circuit with Meanstreets ' last='']. His tenacity for getting on the offensive glass for second chance points along with snatching boards in traffic defensively are top notch.

Over the spring and summer he proved his merits on the national level! One of the top rebounders in the EYBL regular season and then followed that up at Peach Jam leading his team to a 5-0 record in pool play with dominant performances one after another. It wasn't just his rebounding as he showcased his finishing around the hoop, improved mid-range game, and great defensive instincts guarding all over the floor while blocking shots.

He also did it at two of the premier camps that have a lot to do with who makes the McDonald's Game. There was a ton of talk about his outstanding performance at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp in June and that was followed up this past weekend by rave reviews as one of the best big men at the USA Basketball Mini Camp.

Rivals, ESPN, and 247 Sports all rank him very high as he sits at #29, #31, and #35 respectively before his performance at the USA Mini Camp.

Johnson is primed for a monster senior year at Thornton as his team is loaded with transfers and appears to be one of the top contenders for a state title. At PHI we will be covering every major game of it. As many know though the resume for McDonald's All-American Game is pretty much decided before their senior season. In our eyes Johnson deserves to be one of the 24 players selected!