Alabama men’s basketball has lost a 2023 commitment.
R.J. Johnson, a guard from Grissom, announced Wednesday night that he’s asking the Crimson Tide to release him from his letter of intent, which he signed in August.
Johnson was the top-ranked player in Alabama and was a three-star in the 247Sports composite. He chose the Crimson Tide over Florida Atlantic, Wichita State and others.
“After much prayer and counsel, it was not an easy decision but I asked for my release from my NLI from the University of Alabama. I want to thank Coach Oats and staff for granting me the special opportunity. I just feel right now it’s best for me to pursue other opportunities elsewhere,” Johnson told On3.
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Johnson, a 1,000-point scorer for head coach Jack Doss, averaged 21.4 points per game across 13 games played. Johnson was named to the ASWA all-state second team earlier this month.
Alabama still has two signees in its 2023 recruiting class: Florida’s Sam Walters and Connecticut’s star Mouhamed Dioubate, both four-star guards. Four-star guard Davin Cosby joined the team for the back stretch of the 2022-23 season, redshirting the season.
Sophomore Nimari Burnett announced his transfer on Monday and followed up with an explanation on Next Round. On Tuesday, Nate Oats welcomed Jaykwon Walton, a transfer guard from Wichita State via the transfer portal.
Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com
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