Syracuse, N.Y. ― The Syracuse coaching staff and Class of 2022 commit Dior Johnson have agreed to mutually part ways from each other, according to sources.
Johnson made the announcement on his Instagram page. The move was confirmed by another source close to Johnson.
The source said that Johnson spoke with the Syracuse coaching staff prior to making his public announcement.
Johnson, a 6-foot-3 guard who is considered a Top 10 recruit in the ’22 class, committed to Syracuse in February. But he has endured a tumultuous series of changes over the past several months.
Johnson attended Mayfair High School in Lakeview, Calif., last year as a sophomore. It was his third school in the last two years as he previously attended Saugerties (N.Y.) High School and IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Johnson transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., this fall. According to sources, the Syracuse coaches supported the decision, seeing Oak Hill as a school that would benefit Johnson both athletically and academically.
However, Johnson suffered a stress reaction in his foot in early September. He had his foot placed in a boot. Initially, Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said Johnson would be sidelined for about three weeks, but would return in time for the Warriors’ season-opener on Oct. 27.
But Johnson abruptly left Oak Hill to return to his mother’s home in California. He made the decision without the knowledge of the SU coaches.
Johnson recently enrolled at Corona (Calif.) Centennial High School.
It now appears that Johnson and the Syracuse coaching staff, including head coach Jim Boeheim and assistant Gerry McNamara, were both ready to move on.
Johnson will re-open his recruitment, but it remains to be seen if he will ever play college basketball. He could decide to play professionally overseas or sign with the G-League, which has begun offering bigger contracts to elite high school players who aren’t eligible for the NBA draft yet.
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Mike Waters is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached via email at mwaters@syracuse.com.
