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It's become clearer than ever that Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have themselves a gem in Dooney Johnson.
Johnson, a 6'7 combo guard who committed to the Zags back in October, just finished up an extraordinary summer on the Nike EYBL circuit, earning First Team honors after leading Team Herro to the semifinals at Peach Jam, averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game.
The Milwaukee native has moved up in the 2027 class rankings at multiple media outlets, currently sitting No. 26 at 247Sports, No. 20 at ESPN, and now up to No. 11 at Rivals.
The latest rankings came from college basketball media network Field of 68, which based its rankings on predicted college performance rather than NBA/professional future.
Johnson came in at No. 16 at Field of 68, one of 20 players given 5-star status and the second-highest ranked player who has publicly committed, behind LSU commit and No. 7 ranked recruit Ahmad Hudson.
Johnson's rise
Johnson was named to the Nike EYBL First Team alongside Beckham Black, DeMarcus Henry, Lewis Uvwo, and MVP Cayden Daughtry, who Field of 68 ranked three, two, four, and one, respectively.
The 6'7 wing dropped 16 points with four rebounds and three assists in Team Herro's loss to the Florida Rebels in the semifinals of Peach Jam last Saturday, shooting 6-11 on twos and 1-2 from the free throw line.
Johnson is a relentless attacker who puts pressure on the rim thanks to his strength and physicality. He is a dynamic offensive player who has enough facilitation skill to be a secondary creator at the collegiate level, although his three point shot (26.6% during EYBL play) remains an area that needs improvement. Johnson also struggled with turnovers, although that will be less of an issue if he plays more of a wing role in Spokane, rather than being the de facto on-ball player like he was during the EYBL circuit.
Still, with his defensive chops, positional size, and developing point guard skill, Johnson looks like he'll be a steal for coach Few and the Zags when he steps on campus in 2027-28.
Other Gonzaga targets
Field of 68 ranked Gonzaga's two other high-profile recruiting targets, Jalen Davis and Gene Roebuck, among their top 68.
Davis, a 6'3 combo guard from Bremerton, WA, came in one spot ahead of Johnson at No. 15 overall. Davis is considering Gonzaga as well as Washington, Oregon, Houston, and others, and would be next in a long line of Gonzaga stars to come from the west side of the state.
Meanwhile, Roebuck came in at No. 60, despite finishing his AAU career with a 40 point game on the Adidas 3SSB circuit over the weekend.
Gonzaga hosted Roebuck back in November, and he is being pursued by UCLA, Cal, and Virginia, among others.
Today's best reads
- Gonzaga commit Dooney Johnson earns Nike EYBL First Team honors
- Three Gonzaga stars ranked among college basketball's top 100 players
- Gonzaga falls in Jon Rothstein's updated college basketball rankings
- Gonzaga unveils first Pac-12 basketball jerseys
- Gonzaga’s Massamba Diop ranked among college basketball’s five most valuable players
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga commit Dooney Johnson continues rise among nation's top recruits.
