Quakers may add another hoops recruit this month

Just about everyone seems to be after Paul Johnson, and for the high school senior, at least, that is a good thing.

Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound swingman, is one of the few basketball players in the country who has yet to commit to a college -- even players who are expected to enter the NBA draft have already committed to their school of choice. Coming into this season, Johnson, who attends Gonzaga College High School, was considered one of the top prospects in the Washington area.

"I wanted a chance to let everybody see me play my best and after that, weigh all my options and see what was the best situation for me after the school year," Johnson said.

And, due to a variety of circumstances, Johnson could end up in Philadelphia come the fall -- it just may not be at Penn.

Currently, Johnson is seriously considering three schools -- George Mason, Big 5 rival La Salle and Penn. Northwestern was also in the running, but after what Johnson's father, Henry Johnson, termed as "pretty much a luke-warm visit" by the Wildcats earlier this week, the school appears to be at the back of the pack.

But Henry is a big reason why Paul is considering Penn in the first place. Both Paul's mother, Merinda Herron, and Henry graduated from Penn. But that's not where the connections end.

Henry was a captain on the 1977 Quakers squad which was coached by Chuck Daly, who would go on to win two NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons. Henry also played with many of the players who were integral to Penn's run to the Final Four in 1979.

Henry believes that Penn will be a good fit for his son because Paul wants to attend a school which is in an urban environment, can give him a good education and still has a social scene.

"I was up there with Paul in October for an unofficial visit, but I don't think he got a feel for it because it was not an official visit," Henry said.

Paul believes that Penn coach Fran Dunphy will give him the chance to be a complete basketball player rather than limiting him to one position.

"What drew me to [Penn] was a great academic record and the chance to play on a winning team, and the chance to play right away on the winning team," Paul said.

Dunphy was unable to comment due to athletic department policies regarding recruits.

Paul plans to travel to Penn for an official visit on April 15 and expects to make his final decision the following week. But in the meantime he is meeting with other schools as well.

Paul spent last night with La Salle coach John Giannini and an Explorers assistant, and he plans to make his official visit to La Salle and Penn on the same trip.

"I enjoyed it. [Giannini's] a good guy. I really liked them," Paul said. "I think they have a lot to offer."

Part of that offer includes a scholarship -- something Penn does not have the luxury of doing. George Mason has also offered Paul a scholarship, though Northwestern has not.

Paul admitted that having to pay for Penn would figure into his decision.

"It depends how much money I receive from Penn [in financial aid]," he added.

Paul seemed to be on the fast track to big-time college hoops as a laundry list of powerhouse programs including Maryland, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech took hard looks at him.

But those schools began to back off when Paul went down with a serious groin injury sustained during a game in early January. The injury was so severe that Paul needed surgery, which forced him to miss four games.

But when he returned, he was not the same player, and his production dropped dramatically. Still, the senior finished the season averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game.

His Gonzaga team finished in the middle of the pack in their league, but coach Steve Turner believes the school came up just short of making a late season run.

"We were only a few free throws away from giving ourselves an opportunity to play in the league championship," he said.

Despite the disappointing end to his high school career, Johnson still garnered Gatorade Player of the Year honors for the District of Columbia.

Turner cited Johnson's athletic ability as his greatest strength.

"He really gets up and down the floor well, finishes very well," Turner said. "I think he's made great improvement in his jump shot and his ability to put the ball on the floor, but I would say those are the two things he needs to work on to be able to compete and have success at the college level."

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