It’s getting harder to miss what Gonzaga has in Dooney Johnson.
The 6-foot-7 combo guard, who committed to Mark Few and the Bulldogs in October, just wrapped up a huge summer on the Nike EYBL circuit. Johnson earned First Team honors after helping Team Herro reach the Peach Jam semifinals and led the team with 14.9 points per game.
That production has pushed the Milwaukee native up the 2027 class boards across the industry. He’s currently No. 26 at 247Sports, No. 20 at ESPN, and now sits at No. 11 at Rivals.
Field of 68 also released its latest rankings, and Johnson landed at No. 16.
The network’s list is built around projected college performance rather than NBA upside, and Johnson was one of 20 players to receive five-star status. He was also the second-highest ranked player in the group who has already publicly committed, trailing only LSU pledge Ahmad Hudson, who checked in at No.
Johnson’s EYBL First Team selection put him alongside Beckham Black, DeMarcus Henry, Lewis Uvwo, and MVP Cayden Daughtry. Field of 68 ranked those players three, two, four, and one, respectively.
In Team Herro’s semifinal loss to the Florida Rebels last Saturday, Johnson finished with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists. He shot 6-11 on twos and 1-2 at the free throw line.
What makes Johnson so intriguing is the way he attacks. He gets downhill with force, using his strength and physicality to keep pressure on the rim.
There’s enough passing feel there for him to serve as a secondary creator at the college level, too. The shot still needs work - he hit 26.6% of his threes during EYBL play - and turnovers were an issue as well, though that should matter less if he’s used more as a wing in Spokane instead of carrying the ball so often like he did this summer.
Even with those rough edges, the package is obvious: defensive ability, good size for the position, and a point guard skill set that is still coming along. That’s why he looks like the kind of player Gonzaga could end up getting at a bargain when he arrives in 2027-28.
Field of 68 also included two other Gonzaga targets in its top 68. Jalen Davis, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Bremerton, Washington, checked in one spot ahead of Johnson at No.
- Davis is also considering Washington, Oregon, Houston, and others, and would be another addition to Gonzaga’s long list of West Side stars if he lands in Spokane.
Gene Roebuck came in at No. 60 after finishing his AAU career with a 40-point game on the Adidas 3SSB circuit over the weekend. Gonzaga hosted Roebuck in November, and UCLA, Cal, and Virginia are among the other schools involved.
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Micah Gordon Just Entered A Different Recruiting Tier
Micah Gordons summer has pushed him into a different conversation, the kind reserved for guards who keep showing they can handle bigger stages and bigger attention. The Class of 2027 point guard for PSA Cardinals turned heads at EYBL Session 4 and again at Peach Jam, where his play helped confirm that his rise is no fluke after earlier standout nights in Las Vegas.
The ripple effect has been just as notable for the rest of the class behind him. Colton Hiller has picked up Michigan and Kentucky offers after a strong run, while Benji Berrouet has added Illinois and California to a list that already sits north of 25 major-program offers, a reminder of how quickly the recruiting board can change once the summer circuit starts sorting out who belongs in the top tier. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas UCLA Showdown Suddenly Carries One Huge Unsettled Question
Gonzagas December date with UCLA already had the feel of a marquee nonconference game, and now it comes with a little extra intrigue. The Bulldogs and Bruins are set to meet Dec. 5 at the Toyota Center in Anaheim as part of the West Coast Hoops Showdown, with FOX carrying the game after both teams open their seasons in Las Vegas at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series. It is the kind of matchup these programs have made a habit of turning into a measuring stick, and Gonzaga still owns the edge in the all-time series.
What makes this one stand out is how much both rosters have changed since the last time they crossed paths. Gonzaga is still sorting through its backcourt after losing Mario Saint-Supery in an unexpected offseason move, while UCLA has added transfers and a highly rated international recruit to a group that already looks different from a year ago. The Bulldogs have had plenty of recent success against the Bruins, but this meeting now carries a fresh layer of uncertainty, with both sides trying to answer major lineup questions before the calendar even turns to December. [Read more 🡒]
Another Elite Prospect Is Making The IMG Pipeline Even Stronger
Lucai Anderson is taking another big step in a fast-rising basketball path, announcing that he will spend his senior season at IMG Academy in Florida. The Class of 2027 four-star guard already built a strong rsum at Trinity Christian in Texas, where he averaged 21.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and earned first-team All-State honors, and his profile has only grown with a growing list of college suitors and a strong run with Germanys U-18 national team at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament.
For Gonzaga fans tracking the national recruiting board, Anderson is the kind of high-upside name who keeps showing up in the same conversations as the elite prospects. The move to IMG should only intensify that spotlight, especially with his family background adding another layer to the story, but the bigger question now is how much more his stock can climb once he gets a full season on one of the sports most visible stages. [Read more 🡒]