Scouting Cal basketball offer Johnny Juzang

Johnny Juzang is a 6’6” wing from Studio City in Southern California. He’ll be entering his sophomore season for Harvard Westlake High in the winter. Nevertheless, Juzang has already received an offer to play for the California Golden Bears basketball team beginning with the 2020-21 season. Juzang also holds offers from a myriad of Pac-12 schools including USC, Arizona State, Washington, Oregon, and UCLA. Alabama, Miami, and UNLV are some of the other programs that have thrown their hats in the ring.

Juzang has mastered the spot-up three-pointer to the extent that it’s a key component of a Harvard Westlake offense that also features rising junior Cassius Stanley. Juzang showed what he was made of during a January 6 matchup with St. Francis. With Stanley in foul trouble, Juzang’s double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) helped the Wolverines win 75-68. Harvard Westlake would go on to win the CIF-SS Division 1A Finals in March. “We just came in so focused and we played together,” Juzang said after the 68-58 victory over Pasadena that sealed the title. During his freshman campaign, Juzang racked up 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per night on 43% shooting from the field.

Below are highlights from the Tarkanian Classic tournament in December 2016. During one play, Juzang makes the defender bite on his head fake and has an open shot for his trouble. He has a great sense of where he is on the floor at all times, which enables him to transition from driving to shooting in an instant. Juzang has such a mastery of the perimeter game that it seems unfair when he instead drives inside and beats two defenders with his back to the basket. He’ll even take baskets away on the other end, swatting a shot and yelling “Gimme that!” to the perplexed shooter.

Even his mid-range skills are noticeable, as he’s unafraid to take aim in midair amid heavy traffic. Later, he taps a high inbound pass to himself and finds himself alone for the lay-in. Another highlight: he posts up from the wing, spins, and scores over his shoulder. Juzang has also made a name for himself as a member of the Compton Magic traveling team, which won the Adidas Summer Championships Creator’s Cup at the end of July.

While Juzang loves scoring from deep, he’s willing to be very patient before shooting off the dribble. He makes his defender pay for a botched steal attempt by calmly weaving past the three-point line and swishing a jumper before anyone else can pick him up.

Juzang is exceptionally confident in his ability to make an open shot, but give him credit for acknowledging a good assist. In turn, his teammates can appreciate Juzang’s ability to grab offensive rebounds and convert them into buckets. He’ll also use the threat of a shot to take two steps in from the perimeter and dish to a teammate in space.

Juzang, whose mother is of Vietnamese descent, strives to be a well-rounded player. As he put it, “I try to do everything and make an impact in all aspects of the game.” Basketball runs in the family, as Johnny’s older brother Christian is coming off his freshman season playing hoops at Harvard University. Johnny has garnered plenty of nationwide interest but would make a valuable addition to Wyking Jones’ program.