Get to Know an Incoming Recruit: Georgetown’s Kaleb Johnson

Georgetown’s 2015 class is made up of three players and the lowest rated recruit in the trio is a 6-foot-6 small forward from Martinsville, Va. named Kaleb Johnson. Many are focused on the two higher rated players for the Hoyas, but do not overlook their freshman forward.

At Carlisle High School, Johnson averaged 16.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a junior. Those are not the numbers of a top high school recruit, but a fantastic senior season put him on the map.

The forward averaged 23.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game in his final season in high school, which propelled him to an 81 grade and a four-star recruiting status by ESPN.com.

As a captain, Johnson led his school on a deep state championship run, but Carlisle would fall short against Blue Ridge. After improving and finishing his high school career strong, Johnson focused on college and drew interest from all over the country.

Johnson had offers from East Carolina, Auburn, Oklahoma State and USF, but decided to stay close to home and play for the Hoyas in college.

Down the road, the Hoyas could have found a solid player that will play his heart out for four years in the nation’s capital. Coach John Thompson III may have a diamond in the rough with this recruit.

However, because of the depth at guard and small forward, do not expect Johnson to play big minutes as a freshman. Off the bench, we could see the forward provide some rebounding and scoring punch.

Johnson is a lefty that contributes a large body for a wing player so he can be physical and sometimes overpowering with opponents because of his strength.

In fact, he is so strong that he could likely play the power forward position too if JTIII decides to play him in a smaller lineup. Based on his rebounding numbers from his senior season in high school, Johnson can certainly battle down low for rebounds.

One skill that Johnson uses to create problems for other teams is his ball handling ability. His handles are solid for a player his size and that could make him a matchup nightmare in the Big East, especially against power forwards.

If a team puts a forward on him, Johnson can be aggressive and physical with them. When a team sends a guard his way, he can use his ball handling to get out of trouble or make a play at the offensive end.

Because of players like Isaac Copeland and L. J. Peak, Georgetown will use Johnson off the bench. However, that does not mean he will not make an impact. As we saw with players like Paul White for the Hoyas, a contribution off the bench could be just as important as a starter in certain games.

Johnson’s talent has the potential to make Georgetown scary for not only this season, but for many years to come.