Doug Haller of our Gannett partner, the Arizona Republic, talked recently to two key Pac-12 basketball recruits — Arizona’s Nick Johnson and Arizona State’s Jahii Carson.
You can read the full Q&A at azcentral.com, but here is an excerpt from his story:
Jahii Carson of Mesa High and Nick Johnson of Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., are friends dribbling in different directions.
Carson to Arizona State.
Johnson to Arizona.
Both are guards. Both are explosive. Rivals ranks Johnson as the No. 8 scoring guard in the country. It ranks Carson as the No. 9 point guard. Starting next season, both could play significant roles in shaping the success of their respective programs.
I recently spoke to Johnson and Carson separately by phone. I asked each the same questions. About their friendship, athletic ability and futures.
Nick, how would you describe Carson’s game?
Johnson: “He’s an explosive point guard that can create some highlights. He can pass the ball. He can score. He may be undersized, but he has athletic ability and speed.”
Jahii, how would you describe Johnson’s game?
Carson: “People don’t give Nick enough credit for being a slasher. They think of him as just a dunker. But he can defend 1 through 3. He can penetrate. He can hit the open shot and he can drive and dunk on you.”
If you two were in a dunk contest, who would win?
Johnson: (laughing) “It’d be close. It depends on who made all their dunks. But I’d have to give (the edge) to myself. I know all the things I can do.”
Carson: “There aren’t too many dunks I can do that he can’t do. And there aren’t too many dunks he can do that I can’t do, so it just depends on who dunks first and how many dunks there are. If we had three dunks, I’d say (the contest) would end in a tie. But if we have four or five, I think I have more of a repertoire so I think I’d take that one.”