5-Star SG Prospect Keldon Johnson Commits to Kentucky over Maryland, Texas

The University of Kentucky added a massive piece to its 2018 recruiting class Saturday with a commitment from prized shooting guard Keldon Johnson.

Scout.com's Evan Daniels confirmed Johnson's choosing the Wildcats. 

Johnson is a 5-star prospect who checks in as the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2018 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He's also listed as the second-best shooting guard and the top incoming player from the state of Virginia.

The 6'6", 216-pound versatile playmaker has bounced around during his high school career. He joined Huntington Prep for his junior campaign before switching to Oak Hill Academy for his senior season. He also played for the Boo Williams AAU squad.

In May, he talked about the importance of his time at Huntington with Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"It was a great move," Johnson said. "They developed me as a player. They developed my body. They did an awesome job. My jump shot's got a lot better. Everybody has known me for scoring the basketball. Now, it's having the playmaking aspect of the game. Making my teammates better, so we could win big games."

That progress was on full display during the summer circuit ahead of his senior year. Justin Young‏ of HoopSeen provided his analysis after seeing Johnson at the NBPA Top 100 Camp:

He must continue to add more power to his frame, especially if attacking the rim is going to remain his main source of creating offense for both himself and his teammates. His perimeter game has shown signs of improvement, but he can still become more consistent with his outside jump shot.

All told, Johnson should have little trouble making the jump to the collegiate level, making him an instant-impact addition for John Calipari and the Wildcats. He's got the tools to become a one-and-done player with a strong freshman campaign, which is the type of prospect Calipari has excelled at developing.

Along with adding more strength and overall weight, one more growth spurt would help him finish with more of a small forward's body. Right now, he'll more likely slot in as a shooting guard, though his all-around skill set can still allow him to stuff the stat sheet for Kentucky.