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UNC Basketball: Four-star target transferring schools to Arizona

By Zack Pearson

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels sits in the bench during their game against the Washington Huskies in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels sits in the bench during their game against the Washington Huskies in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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A four-star UNC Basketball recruiting target will transfer high schools this year and has picked a school in the state of Arizona. What does that mean for the Tar Heels’ chances?

Donovan “Puff” Johnson will play high school basketball in 2019-20 after all.

The four-star recruit who is the younger brother of former North Carolina standout, Cameron Johnson, has announced his plans for his senior year of high school basketball and it could impact his recruitment. Johnson announced Monday night that he was transferring to Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Arizona a move that allows him to actually play this year after being ruled ineligible by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The move to Arizona will put him closer to his brother Cam after he was drafted No. 11 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2019 NBA Draft. Puff can now live with his brother and play his final year of high school basketball at the same time.

His father Gil spoke with TribLive to break down the decision:

"“It’s a very, very good school,” Gil Johnson said. “A Top 5 basketball program and all the academic support he could ever desire there. It’s a good situation for his situation.”Gil Johnson said a number of prep schools reached out to recruit Donovan — including IMG Academy and Brewster Academy — but Hillcrest was Donovan’s choice. His brother Cameron was drafted this summer by the Phoenix Suns, so the Johnson family already has connections in Arizona."

Johnson has been on UNC’s campus for unofficial visits a lot, most recently working out with Cam as he prepared for the 2019 NBA Draft. But this move could mean bad news for the Tar Heels in his recruitment.

Being in Phoenix, Johnson is now closer to the University of Arizona’s campus, one of his finalists in the recruitment. He can spend more time around the program and he’s already close to head coach Sean Miller as his father Gil, played with Sean at Pitt.

Johnson named both UNC and Arizona in his final seven list released earlier in August and the two programs may have been the frontrunners to land him. This will certainly be a factor in the recruitment and it could help the Wildcats in the end.

Johnson will schedule official visits and then take them this Fall before making his decision after that.

Next. Four-star guard sets official visit. dark

For more on Johnson and other UNC Basketball recruiting targets, please check back with Keeping It Heel.

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