Sacramento State guard enters NCAA transfer portal. USC, Memphis show interest
Prophet Johnson could be on the verge of a new opportunity and a lucrative name, image and likeness deal following a big season at Sacramento State.
Prophet Johnson entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday and is seeking an additional year of eligibility through an NCAA waiver, Maurice Johnson of PNW Sports Group told The Sacramento Bee.
The dynamic 6-foot-3 guard averaged 18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals while shooting 39.2% from 3-point range in his only season at Sacramento State. He was a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection and one of five players named to the All-Defensive Team.
Writing Illini, a fan site dedicated to Illinois athletics, recently wrote that Johnson should be on the program’s radar as the Illini go “big-game hunting” following their run to the Final Four. USC, Washington and Memphis have already reached out to express interest, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Sacramento State went 10-21 in its first season under coach Mike Bibby. Johnson led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals while ranking second in assists. He was the top rebounding guard in the nation under 6-foot-5 and ranked fourth in the nation in steals.
Johnson’s departure comes as no surprise to Sacramento State. He was one of two players honored on Senior Night.
Johnson enters the portal days after Mark Lavrenov, a 6-8 forward who averaged 9.9 points and 7.0 rebounds as a freshman at Sacramento State after starring at Rocklin High School.
Johnson, who previously played for Southern Utah and Fairfield, produced two 30-point games for the Hornets. He scored a career-high 35 points against Weber State on Feb. 2. He nearly recorded a triple-double against Eastern Washington on Feb. 19, posting 26 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
