Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 5, 1994 TAG: 9410050100
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Johnson, from Lassiter High School in Marietta, will announce his decision at a news conference at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Johnson has taken paid recruiting visits to Virginia, Wake Forest, Connecticut and Georgia. He also went to Tennessee unofficially.
``I had a great time at Virginia,'' Johnson said. ``I felt like I bonded well with the players, and it was what I was looking for socially, academically and athletically.''
Virginia was the only school Johnson visited with his parents. Johnson's mother said early Tuesday her son would not choose a school the family had not visited.
``The history [in Charlottesville] was overwhelming,'' said Candace Johnson, who teaches American history and government at North Cobb High School. ``The other thing that impressed us was the Virginia alumni network.''
Scott Johnson was rated the No.57 prospect in the country by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons after a junior year in which he averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds. He made 42 of 88 3-point shots.
``I don't know if the 3-pointers are a big part of my game,'' he said, ``but it certainly opens up the other parts and gives me an advantage over other big men.''
Johnson, who did not turn 17 until July, said he is in the midst of a growth spurt and measures nearly 6-10 and 235 pounds. He is a ``B'' student who scored close to 1,000 on the Scholastic Assessment Test as a junior.
The anticipated addition of Johnson would give UVa its second commitment. Courtney Alexander, a 6-5 point guard from Durham, N.C., selected the Cavaliers last week.
Tom Perrin, a former restricted-earnings coach who moved up to full-time status in the spring, was the UVa assistant primarily responsible for recruiting each player.
Other players who have visited Virginia are 6-10 Tom Wideman, who is Johnson's AAU teammate; and 6-7 Darryl Presley and 6-10 Greg Cristell from DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md. Cristell originally is from Clearwater, Fla.
by CNB