Kentucky freshman wing Johnny Juzang was a top-35 recruit in the 2019 class with options to play at several schools throughout the country coming out of Harvard-Westlake High School in the Los Angeles area. Virginia, Kansas, Oregon, Marquette, USC and San Diego State were just some of his options then.
Now, he has decided to leave Kentucky after one season with the Wildcats seeking out a new home that will give him a bigger opportunity to see the floor more often. Juzang put his name into the transfer portal last Friday after wrapping up his first college season averaging 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in Lexington.
Tuesday the California native put together an early top six of the schools standing out most at this point in the process and Arizona was one of the programs included on the list. The Wildcats were one of three programs from the Pac-12 to make the cut with Oregon and UCLA being the other two. Texas Tech, Villanova and Notre Dame were the three other teams to make his list.
Juzang played as part of the Compton Magic travel program during his high school days, and that is the same program that incoming freshman guard Dalen Terry played for during the spring and summer. That is one connection for the Wildcats while another is Sean Miller's relationship with UK head coach John Calipari.
It's no secret that the two head coaches and Pennsylvania natives have a solid relationship, and support from Calipari's program helped Arizona eventually persuade the NCAA to allow another Kentucky transfer, Jemarl Baker Jr., to become immediately eligible this season at UA.
Juzang, a freshman who reclassified from the 2020 class last spring, will be required to sit out next season per the NCAA's transfer rules.
The Wildcats have five spots to fill overall right now with Tuesday's announcement from freshman Zeke Nnaji that he will be entering the NBA Draft, but that number could grow to seven should Nico Mannion and Josh Green also both leave the program after one season. It has left the Wildcats in position to look for transfer options and graduate transfer options in the NCAA's transfer portal.
Juzang's connections to the West Coast make him a natural fit for a school in the Pac-12 plus his game fits in well with what Miller likes in his wing players.
"Let's be clear here, Juzang is more than just a spot up shooter," Rivals.com national analyst Eric Bossi wrote last spring when Juzang made his decision to commit to Kentucky. "Because of his size and good strength, he's also an effective low post scorer, has a mid post game and he's turned himself into a solid defender at the high school level.
"He plays hard, he's not afraid of a big moment and he's had a lot of exposure to high level competition as he's made his way through the grassroots ranks playing in the summers with the Compton Magic."
At this point there is no clear indication of when Juzang will make a final decision about his next stop.
