Kenny Payne silently rounded out the 2023 roster with a major commitment from 4 Star point guard Ty-Laur Johnson. A New York City native, Johnson’s commitment gives the Cards an athletic playmaker to likely come off the bench.
According to Rivals, Johnson is ranked 65th in the 2023 recruiting class and the #1 player in the state of New York. The 6’1 guard decommitted from Memphis on April 23rd and held offers from Creighton, NC State, St. John’s, + more.
Ty-Laur is a very exciting prospect that will catch the eye of Cardinal fans. He has explosive footwork and keeps the ball on a string when handling. Though he may be considered undersized, Johnson attacks with extreme aggression every chance he gets and has superb body control when taking it to the rim. He has a reliable floater, and mid-range pull-up jumper he’s able to mix in as well, to keep the defense guessing at all times.
Excelling in more of a free-flowing offense, Johnson should fit perfectly with what Payne is looking to build. He has a great pace and excels at finding the open man in both transition and the half-court. He never lacks confidence and loves to compete, looking to help his team win in any way necessary.
Ty-Laur Johnson Commits to Louisville
The Bronx guard played in the Overtime Elite League this past season, where he averaged 18.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 5.7 APG. He fared very well in his battles against the top players in the OTE program which included likely top 10 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft Amen and Asur Thompson, and 5 Star guard Robert Dillingham.
Johnson had arguably his best game of the season against Dillingham and the Cold Hearts where he tallied 29 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
Ty-Laur Johnson v. Cold Hearts Highlights
Quick hands help Ty-Laur have an impact on defense, as he averaged 2.5 steals per game last season in OTE. As his body matures and he adds more muscle, he should continue to evolve on the defensive side of the ball.
Johnson joins the #5 ranked recruiting class that includes nine new additions; four transfers and five incoming freshmen counting Ty-laur:
5 Star G/F Trentyn Flowers (#22)
4 Star C Dennis Evans (#27)
4 Star F Kaleb Glenn (#72)
4 Star F Curtis Williams Jr. (#77)
4 Star transfer G Skyy Clark
4 Star transfer G/F Tre White
3 Star transfer F Danilo Jovanovich
JUCO transfer G/F Koron Davis
(All rankings according to 247Sports Composite)
JJ Traynor, Mike James, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield are the only returning players on scholarship, while Hercy Miller is still fully expected back as a walk-on.
Coach Kenny Payne and his staff have done an unbelievable job with flipping this roster. Coming off a 4-win season, this team has the potential for a historic turnaround with the abundance of young talent set to join the program for the 2023-24 season.
