The Arizona Wildcats picked up a much-needed veteran forward Saturday and, apparently, a pretty active dancer, too.
Keshad Johnson, a 6-7, 225-pound starter for San Diego State’s national runner-up team last season, announced Saturday via Instagram that he will spend a grad-transfer season with the Wildcats in 2023-24.
He did so during a spirited outdoor party in his native Bay area that was attended by friends, family, UA coach Tommy Lloyd and former UA and NBA standout Andre Iguodala.
While Johnson posted a graphic to Instagram that announced his commitment — for which he chose UA over Kentucky, Oklahoma and USC — he also went live on Instagram with a video in which he and others danced to booming music. Over the speakers, Johnson could be heard saying, among other things, “Zona turn me up, man... AZ turn me up. ... Bear down, how about it?”
In a shorter video clip he also posted to Instagram, Lloyd chanted “Bear Down” while standing next to Iguodala in a group. Next to them stood Johnson, beaming and flashing the UA hand sign.
During a statement UA posted to social media, Lloyd expressed his excitement. He now has 11 players lined up for next season, including a starting five that potentially could compete for the Pac-12 title.
“Keshad brings a lot of experience and versatility to our team from the start,” Lloyd said in a UA release posted to social media. “He scored 14 points in the national championship game last season and was able to impact the game at both ends of the floor, something that is extremely valuable to any team.
“His leadership and commitment to the team contribute to winning at a high level. We couldn’t be more excited that Keshad and his family are part of our family.”
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, left, poses with new UA commitment Keshad Johnson and Andre Iguodala (right) during a party Saturday in the Bay area.
A 6-7, 225-pound veteran of four seasons with the Aztecs, Johnson visited the Wildcats late last month and then took a final visit to Kentucky. He also visited Oklahoma and USC after announcing he would leave SDSU.
Johnson started for SDSU last season on its run to the NCAA championship game, averaging 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds while shooting 53.2% overall and 26.2% from 3-point range.
Early last season, Johnson faced the Wildcats in the semifinals of the Maui Invitationa, collecting eight points and five rebounds in UA’s 87-70 win.
After returning to San Diego State for graduation last weekend, Johnson kept his recruitment mostly quiet until speculation grew considerably on Friday that he would commit to the Wildcats. Three analysts at 247Sports.com put in “Crystal Balls” saying Johnson would pick Arizona, while Kentucky Sports Radio quoted sources saying, “Arizona has emerged as the likely landing spot for Johnson.”
Rated a three-star prospect out of San Leandro (Calif.) High School in 2019, Johnson played only sparingly as a freshman in 2019-20 but elevated himself into a key reserve as a sophomore in 2020-21 and to a starter the past two seasons.
Johnson’s 2-point percentage of 59.1% last season ranked 232nd nationally, according to Kenpom, while his offensive and defensive rebounding percentages both ranked in the top 500.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Johnson also became a fan favorite for acrobatic dunks and coast-to-coast runs.
“It changed the whole aspect of how I’m viewed as a basketball player,” Johnson told the Union-Tribune during SDSU’s tournament run. “Now everybody knows I’m a winner. They knew I had the heart of a winner and I talk like a winner, but now I proved to them that I’m a winner.
“That’s the most exposure any college player could have, being on that stage. It’s inevitable for the world to know me at this point. I had a pretty good game in the national championship game. The world has seen that.”
At Arizona, Johnson could play a hybrid forward spot still open after Cedric Henderson ran out of eligibility. Johnson could start at power forward if Azuolas Tubelis remains in the NBA Draft as expected, and possibly play some at small forward, especially if rising sophomore Henri Veesaar emerges to become a regular rotation player in the post alongside center Oumar Ballo.
Arizona’s post options next season also now include Lithuanian 7-footer Motiejus Krivas, an incoming freshman whose commitment was announced last week, along with rising sophomore Dylan Anderson.
The Wildcats also have plenty of big wing options, including senior Pelle Larsson, rising sophomore Filip Borovicanin and another Lithuanian freshman in 6-8 sharpshooter Paulius Murauskas.
In the backcourt, UA’s projected starters could be sophomore Kylan Boswell and Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley, who announced his commitment to Arizona earlier this month.
UA also has incoming freshman KJ Lewis to help in the backcourt and might aim to add another guard. The Wildcats were one of 14 programs to contact 6-5 North Carolina transfer D’Marco Dunn, a former Marana High School player who moved to North Carolina after his sophomore year and then committed to the Tar Heels.
During the NBA Combine in Chicago last week, 6-7 forward Arthur Kaluma told the Star that he believed his family had been contacted by Arizona in the event he withdraws from the draft. But after landing Johnson, a similarly sized player, the Wildcats are not expected to recruit Kaluma if he returns to college.
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