Tennessee's Johnson will hire agent, enter NBA draft
Tennessee freshman guard Keon Johnson will hire an agent and enter the 2021 NBA draft, thereby forgoing the rest of his college eligibility, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
A projected lottery pick, ESPN ranked Johnson as the sixth-best prospect in the next draft.
"The NBA has always been my goal, but I never expected it to come this soon," he told Givony. "I really don't care what number I get drafted at. I just want to go somewhere I fit in that organization. Where I can keep developing and find my niche."
The 19-year-old registered 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this past season with the Volunteers. He became a permanent fixture in Tennessee's starting lineup in January after coming off the bench in 10 of his first 11 games following a meniscus injury in his high school senior year. He helped the Volunteers finish fourth in the SEC and reach the conference tournament's semifinals.
Johnson was a consensus five-star recruit in 2019. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team this season.