Illinois Basketball: Morez Johnson Jr. goes big in session 4 of Nike EYBL

Illinois basketball commit Morez Johnson Jr. put up some monster numbers in the Nike EYBL.

Everyone knows how good Johnson is on paper. The Illini pledge is a four-star recruit who is ranked as the No. 49 player in the class of 2024. Being in the top 50 is an incredible feat, and every team in the country wants him on their roster.

But, thankfully, Johnson has picked Illinois, and with each passing session in the Nike EYBL, I thank the Basketball Gods he is going to be on our team.

The Nike EYBL is finishing up the final of four sessions before the Peach Jam. Johnson’s AAU team, Meanstreets, is 10-6 for the season and is currently fifth out of 18 teams in group A.

Meanstreets have plenty of great talent on the roster, but a big reason why they are so competitive in the Nike EYBL is the fact that Johnson puts up some massive numbers.

Morez Johnson Jr. continues to show why he is a huge commitment for the Illinois basketball program

In session four, the Meanstreets are 3-1 with one more game to play on Monday. Johnson has put up some big numbers in the first four contests as well. He is averaging 13.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in session four.

The highlight of this session for Johnson was against the New York Renaissance. In that game, Johnson managed to put up 25 points, 22 rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and two assists. He was 8-of-14 from the field, and I think the most impressive stat was the fact he did all of this with only one turnover for the game.

Opinion

I can’t wait for Johnson to get to Illinois. We haven’t had that type of athletic rebounder in a long time. The thought of having Johnson in the paint just tearing down boards and scoring at will is exciting.

What is even more exciting is the fact Illinois won’t just have one dominating big man in 2024. This would be Amani Hansberry’s second season in Champaign. He is Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Illinois is going to have two monster rebounders at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots.

The future of the Illini is extremely bright. Johnson is going to be a special player for this program. Let’s see how the rest of his high school career plays out. Who knows, maybe he ends up as a McDonald’s All-American.