Morez Johnson Jr. is attracting interest from top schools in the transfer portal. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reports that the former University of Illinois forward has been contacted by Arizona, UCLA, and Michigan.
Morez Johnson Jr. on the Move
Johnson, a 6’9”, 225 lb forward out of Riverdale, Illinois, was a four-star recruit ranked by ESPN as the 29th best recruit in the 2024 freshman class.
Illinois transfer Morez Johnson is receiving interest from the following programs, per his agent RaShay Russell.
Arizona St
Arizona
Kansas St
DePaul
Ohio St
Iowa
USC
Michigan
NC St
UCLA
Arkansas
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
Georgetown
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Wisconsin— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 31, 2025
Johnson struggled to crack the starting lineup, with bigs Tomislav Ivisic and Will Riley holding down the Illini frontline this past season, but became a valuable bench piece. Averaging 17.7 minutes per game, Johnson can score from various ways near the rim, where he takes 97% percent of his shots with a FG% of 66.
He is particularly valuable on pick and rolls, where he ranks in the 72nd percentile in points per possession as the roll/pop man.
But where Johnson is most valuable as a rebounder. He averaged 15.2 rebounds per 36 minutes and had a 17.2% offensive rebounds rate, which would have ranked fifth nationally if he played enough minutes to qualify. His status as a top-30 recruit, along with the potential he showed in his limited playing time as a freshman, makes him a coveted transfer option, currently ranked by 247Sports as the 24th-best player in the portal.
Johnson will presumably be looking for a place where he can gain more play time to further develop without being blocked, making a school like Michigan a fantastic potential landing spot.
The Wolverines are losing their dynamic big-man duo of Vladislov Goldin and Danny Wolfe, and a player with Johnson’s potential could be a top-tier option for Head Coach Dusty Maye.
Of course, along with the NIL and playing time potential, Johnson should be looking for coaches with a track record of developing big men. As an elite rebounder with untapped offensive potential, Johnson fits the profile of a player who could be coveted by Arizona Head Coach Tommy Lloyd.
Lloyd has gotten top-tier frontline production from Christian Koloko, Oumar Ballo, and Azuolad Tubelis in just four years with the Wildcats. If Starting center Henri Veesar decides to declare for the NBA Draft, there could be an opening in the Wildcat frontcourt next to Tobe Awaka, who had an offensive rebounding rate of 17.3% this past season.
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Regardless of where Johnson chooses to go, the profile of coaches going after him indicates that the greater college basketball world sees the potential he showed in his freshman season. In the right spot, Johnson could easily go from an exciting bench piece to a featured player playing significant minutes for a contender in March.
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