Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Tar Heels’ 2020 recruiting class could look a lot like this

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches his team play against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles during the first half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 16, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches his team play against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles during the first half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 16, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Cameron Johnson #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives to the basket against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at Watsco Center on January 19, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Donovan Johnson

Perhaps the 2020 prospect climbing up recruiting boards more quickly than any other is Donovan “Puff” Johnson, the brother of former UNC sharpshooter and first team All-ACC performer Cameron Johnson.

The 6-foot-7, 185-pound small forward out of Moon Area High School in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania was ranked 199th in the nation in September of 2018. He jumped 78 spots that month to No. 121, and another 72 spots in the months since, landing him at No. 49 in the most recent 247Sports Composite. He’s now the No. 13 small forward in the class, and the top prospect in the state of Pennsylvania.

Thanks to his excellent play over the past several months, Johnson is finally getting the national recognition that some already felt like he deserved. Rivals recruiting analyst Eric Bossi recently pointed out that Johnson might be further along in his development than his older brother, who finished last season with 96 made three-pointers at a 45.7 percent clip for the Tar Heels.

"“When you can shoot it from deep like “Puff” can, you are going to attract a crowd,” Bossi said. “It doesn’t seem like he’s missed a jump shot in the past few months and he’s got some crafty offensive game to go along with hit. His older brother Cameron Johnson was a late bloomer who developed into a legitimate NBA prospect at UNC and little bro is way ahead at this point in his development.”"

Johnson has already picked up nearly 20 scholarship offers including ones from Arizona, Auburn, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Xavier. Offers will continue to come in over the next several months, thanks, in part, to his brother’s pedigree as a knock-down shooter, but more so because of his own ability on the basketball court.

His Crystal Ball is in favor of Arizona, who has 80 percent of the vote. North Carolina is in second-place with 20 percent of the vote. The Pittsburgh Panthers are also considered to be a major player in his recruitment.

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