Garfield High guard Koren Johnson, the state’s top player this year, makes it official, signs with UW Husky men

That’s two for two.

The Washington men’s basketball team secured the state’s two highest-ranked recruits for the first time in at least two decades.

Garfield High guard Koren Johnson, who committed to the Huskies in November after rescinding an agreement to play at San Diego State, made it official Sunday and announced he signed with UW.

“Let’s get it dawg pack,” Johnson tweeted along with a purple heart emoji.

The four-star prospect, who is ranked No. 1 in the state by 247Sports.com, joins four-star forward Tyler Linhardt, who is ranked No. 2 in the state and signed last November with Washington.

UW’s three-man 2022 recruiting class, which also includes three-star Michigan point guard Keyon Menifield Jr., is ranked fourth in the Pac-12 behind USC, UCLA and Oregon, according to 247Sports.com.

Johnson, a 6-foot-2 guard, is the state’s consensus top recruiting prospect. He’s No. 97 nationally and is considered the No. 15 combo guard, according to 247Sports.com.

Rivals ranks Johnson 112^th nationally and 29^th among the top point guards in the country. Meanwhile, ESPN has him listed at No. 25 nationally among point guards.

Johnson is the fifth No. 1 in-state recruit to sign with Washington since 2002. The others include: Jaden McDaniels (2019), Tony Wroten (2011), Abdul Gaddy (2009) and Spencer Hawes (2006).

Johnson, who had scholarship offers from Arizona, Washington State, San Diego, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and Montana, spent three seasons at Garfield before transferring to national basketball powerhouse Wasatch Academy in Utah for his senior season.

After a short time in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Johnson returned to Garfield before the start of the 2021-22 school year.

“I kind of got homesick, and I just didn’t really think it was for me,” Johnson told The Seattle Times last December. “I wanted to be home around my family, and the people I really know.”

Johnson helped the Bulldogs to a 25-1 record and a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament.

Adding Johnson bolsters a depleted UW backcourt that lost leading scorer Terrell Brown Jr. and defensive standout Daejon Davis to graduation.

The Huskies return junior guards PJ Fuller and Cole Bajema while senior guard Jamal Bey has the option to come back for a COVID year.

Currently, Washington has 8-10 players on the roster, considering senior forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. is also eligible for an extra year. The NCAA scholarship limit is 13.

Note

• Oregon State junior guard Dashawn Davis, who is transferring and narrowed his choices to Washington and Mississippi State, said via social media that he’s going to play for the Bulldogs. He led the Pac-12 with 5.6 assists per game while also averaging 11.1 points last season.