Jarvis Johnson, a 2015 point guard from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, has received offers from Clemson, Creighton, Iowa State, Marquette, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Penn State, Providence, UCLA, UNLV, Wichita State and Wisconsin, will play with his Howard Pulley AAU team at the Peach Jam in Augusta, South Carolina this week.
Johnson helped lead the Islanders to its third straight Class AAA championships in March as they finished 26-3 this year and won its last 23 games.
Gopher Hole caught up with Johnson to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You are heading down to the Peach Jam. You started a little bit slow in Sacramento going 1-3, but you played well the rest of the spring. What are expectations this week?
Jarvis Johnson: We just want to try to make it farther than we did last year, so I think that we just have to focus on the first couple of games and worry about what is going on after that.
Gopher Hole: You open up against the Mac Irvin Fire, a team that you just played in Chicago. I don’t think that you tried to show them too much and they probably didn’t try to show you too much either.
Jarvis Johnson: We went and just played zone against them to see what type of feel they had for that. I know that they had two players (Illinois commit D.J. Williams and Gopher recruiting target Ed Morrow) missing at the LeBron James Camp, so it is going to be a different feel when we get out there on Thursday.
Gopher Hole: You played in the Peach Jam last year? How would you describe the atmosphere to the average fan who has never been there before?
Jarvis Johnson: The atmosphere is nuts. It’s almost like a state tournament. The coaches are there. People are just trying to get a scholarship. Play their best and go out there and have fun is really the main thing.
Gopher Hole: Have you talked to many of the coaches that are recruiting you about watching you at the Peach Jam?
Jarvis Johnson: Yes. I have talked to a couple of them, but this week, I kind of kept the recruitment down a little bit and try and focus a little more. I am just trying to stay calm and not worry too much about everything.
Gopher Hole: Did you see a lot of coaches that are recruiting you in Chicago this past week?
Jarvis Johnson: Yes, I did. During Chicago, I would text them at night to let them know that I did see them there. I did keep in contact.
Gopher Hole: Which coaches were watching you the most?
Jarvis Johnson: Michigan State was there. Minnesota was there. Wisconsin. Maryland just came into the picture. Those are the top ones that I know was there.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, Minnesota has been recruiting you for awhile and they just got a commitment from a guard, Kevin Dorsey, who plays in the EYBL. Have you ever had a chance to see him play?
Jarvis Johnson: No, I haven’t. I know that he plays with Team Takeover, but that’s about it. I haven’t really had a chance to see him play in the EYBL.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to try to check him out at the Peach Jam?
Jarvis Johnson: Yes. We’ll definitely try to contact him.
Gopher Hole: A lot of people have said that if you decided to go to Minnesota that you two could play well together. Is that something that would appeal to you having another guard who can also handle the ball where you could play the 1 and 2 and plays off each other a little bit?
Jarvis Johnson: Yes. That is something that I have thought about like guys were saying about the Napier-Boatright situation. That is something that I was thinking about.