"This kid is awesome" — Green Bay basketball HC Doug Gottlieb raves about his new 2024 commit Jeremiah Johnson

By Aman Sharma

Modified Jul 12, 2024 15:12 GMT

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On June 17, Jeremiah Johnson announced his commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, joining newly appointed head coach Doug Gottlieb for the upcoming season.

Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 160-pound point guard from Norman, Oklahoma, had initially committed to OSU for the 2024 season. However, following the departure of OSU's seven-year coach Mike Boynton and the hiring of Steve Lutz, Johnson reopened his recruitment and chose Green Bay.

Johnson’s commitment is significant for Green Bay, as Doug Gottlieb, a former OSU player, expressed his enthusiasm on X (formerly Twitter). He highlighted Johnson's dedication, competitive spirit and quick learning ability:

"This kid is awesome. Eager to learn daily, competes in every drill and wants to be great while understanding it is a process…Also, Jeremiah doesn’t make the same mistake twice. Lastly, his teammates love him, which is the most important part of our culture."

Johnson's journey has been remarkable. He initially played at Putnam City North in Oklahoma City, where he emerged as a top-50 recruit. His sophomore year was marred by an incident in which he was critically injured in a shooting. He lost nearly 50 pounds as a result of the injury.

Nevertheless, Johnson hurdled that stage and returned to action for the 2024 class, still standing out in his games. Recently, he was a member of Phoenix Prep in Arizona, but he also transferred to Utah and Wasatch Academy for some periods.

In the Overtime Elite league, Johnson averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, with seven games where he scored over 20 points. His performance caught the attention of numerous power conference teams, including Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.

According to 247Sports, Johnson is the 13th-best point guard and the 143rd overall prospect in the 2024 class. Green Bay's roster will also feature Isaiah Miranda, another former OSU player. Interestingly, Johnson will still begin his college career at Gallagher-Iba Arena, as Green Bay is set to play against OSU on November 4.

Doug Gottlieb proposes an innovative plan for Green Bay's basketball program

Doug Gottlieb, the newly appointed head coach at Green Bay, has proposed an ambitious plan for his team to compete in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a prestigious summer event with a $2 million prize. Typically, TBT teams consist of former college players and overseas pros, as three NCAA bylaws bar current college athletes.

These rules restrict college coaching staff from holding camps or clinics over 100 miles from their university, limit participation in NCAA-sanctioned summer events, and prohibit more than two players from the same university on a single team in these events.

Doug Gottlieb's innovative idea involves Green Bay forgoing a traditional foreign tour, which is permissible under NCAA regulations. Gottlieb suggests treating TBT as their foreign tour instead of traveling to typical destinations like Italy, Spain or Canada. This workaround adheres to NCAA rules, which allow one foreign tour per offseason.

Despite the creativity of this proposal, the NCAA is unlikely to approve it, as it could set a precedent for other programs — especially with the substantial cash prize of $2 million at stake.