It seems that Jalen Johnson’s time as Blue Devil is over.
The first-year star, who entered this season as the country’s 13th recruit, is choosing to stay out of the rest of the 2020-21 season, due to a team release on Monday night.
“I appreciate everything about my time at Duke,” Johnson said in the statement. “Coach K, my teammates and the program have been nothing but support throughout this season, especially during the rehabilitation of my foot injury. My family, the coach and I made the decision not to play the rest of this season, so that I can be 100% healthy in preparation for the NBA Draft. It was not easy, but we think it is the best for my future. I have nothing but love for the Brotherhood and I thank my teammates and everyone associated with the program. Duke will always have a special place in my heart and will always be a part of me. “
The news was first reported by Jacob Polacheck of ZAGSBLOG just over an hour before the official launch.
Johnson missed a little over a month with a foot injury announced in mid-December, but returned on January 12 against Virginia Tech and has appeared in every game since.
“Although we are encouraged by what we are seeing in the medical field, for Jalen’s future, we believe that this decision is in his interest,” said coach Mike Krzyzewski in the statement. “Ultimately, we take care of each of our players and will continue to support Jalen as he progresses towards his goal of playing professional basketball. He deserves to be totally healthy for the next NBA Draft. “
Despite high expectations for the season, Johnson disappointed during his short stay in Durham, averaging just 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 13 games.
He had moments that showed why he was one of the top five recruits in the country and could still be chosen in the NBA 2021 Draft lottery, including a 24-point performance, 16 rebounds and seven assists in Pittsburgh on January 19, as well as his impressive debut of 19 points and 19 rebounds against Coppin State.
But the Milwaukee native has been absent from the Blue Devils rotation in recent games, totaling just 11 points in 23 minutes in Duke’s last two disputes against Notre Dame and NC State.
Although Johnson and Krzyzewski indicated that the exclusion option was due to a foot injury to the former, not everyone seems to be fully convinced.
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Jeff Goodman from the stadium tweeted Monday night that “there have been problems out of court between Jalen Johnson / his camp and Duke since the beginning of the season”, based on some of his reports from the beginning of the season.
“You look at Duke, and they need Jalen Johnson back and a committed Jalen Johnson, not just Jalen Johnson,” said Goodman at ACC Network’s Packer and Durham in early January, while Johnson was still recovering from an injury in the foot that moved him between mid-December and mid-January. “They need it to be bought. And I know there is that foot injury and everything, but there are some other things going on behind the scenes there, guys, with Jalen Johnson and the coaching staff. So he has to go back and be bought. “
Duke faces Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC, Wednesday night.