Scott VenciGreen Bay Press-Gazette
GREEN BAY – It’s too early to know if the Doug Gottlieb era will be a success for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team.
But the first-year coach already has proven he can land recruits that previously might have been difficult, if not impossible, to imagine.
The Phoenix received a commitment from Jeremiah Johnson on Monday, a 6-foot-4 star point guard from the 2024 class who previously committed to Oklahoma State but was granted his release after Cowboys coach Mike Boynton was fired after the season.
UWGB. Texas A&M. Florida.
Those are the three schools Johnson recently had on his list to visit.
The mid-major one isn’t exactly like the two Power 5 schools, but it didn’t matter in this case.
It didn’t even matter that the Oklahoma City native previously had offers from Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Illinois, Tulsa and SMU.
Gottlieb got his guy and in the process showed he and his coaching staff can be a legitimate force in the days of the NCAA transfer portal and NIL.
Johnson was supposed to visit Green Bay on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, but after he visited Florida, Johnson called Gottlieb.
In no uncertain terms, he told him there wasn’t a need to make a visit. Green Bay was where he wanted to play, sight unseen.
“I was very open-minded,” Johnson said. “Like, I didn’t make the decision until really Saturday. That’s when I kind of knew that, yeah, that’s where I want to be at.”
Per NCAA rules, Gottlieb is not allowed to comment until all paperwork has been filed.
It’s the most recent notable signing by UWGB, which last month included former Oklahoma State 7-1 center Isaiah Miranda.
Along with Johnson, UWGB also received a commitment Monday from 6-11 forward-center Roee Oselka, who already is closing in on his 21st birthday and played for an Israeli pro team this past season.
Oselka made an official visit to Ohio State last month and appears to have all four years of college eligibility remaining.
Johnson knows Miranda, having met him when he went on his official visit to OSU before committing to the Cowboys.
Miranda already reached out to congratulate his new teammate.
Jeremiah Johnson is one of the top point guards of 2024 class
Johnson was ranked among the top 140 players in the nation this season for the 2024 class and considered one of the 12 best point guards.
He has made several different stops on his way to college, including playing the 2023-24 campaign in the Overtime Elite league and averaging 18.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Johnson picking UWGB over larger schools isn’t normal, but having a prior relationship with Gottlieb helped. Gottlieb is the all-time assists leader at OSU, and the two have known each other for a while considering Johnson was expected to play for the Cowboys.
Gottlieb was the coach at UWGB for about one week when Johnson reopened his commitment last month. Gottlieb was in communication almost immediately.
“Even though I had a lot of Power 5 schools, I wanted to go somewhere where me and the coach have a genuine relationship,” Johnson said.
Still, UWGB? For real?
Even after Gottlieb was in contact with him, Johnson had in his mind to attend a bigger school. But after speaking with Gottlieb, and after hearing his plan, he believes he can at least have the opportunity for an NBA career playing for the Phoenix just like former greats such as Tom Anderson, Ron Ripley, Tony Bennett, Jeff Nordgaard, Logan Vander Velden, Alfonzo McKinnie, Keifer Sykes and Alec Brown did.
Bennett (1992, 35th overall), Nordgaard (1996, 53rd overall) and Brown (2014, 50th overall) were drafted by NBA teams in the second round, while Anderson was selected in the 10th round in 1978 and Ripley in the fourth round in 1979.
Make no mistake. Playing in the NBA is Johnson’s dream. Even more like an expectation.
He doesn’t dismiss the possibility he will play college ball for one or two seasons before making the leap if things go well.
“That’s one of the reasons why I chose Green Bay,” Johnson said. “Because Doug knows my goal is to be in the NBA. You can go to the league from anywhere, as long as you show what you need to show in putting up numbers.”
UWGB steps up to land Jeremiah Johnson
Speaking of numbers, although figures aren’t released publicly, UWGB likely had to step up with an NIL package good enough that Johnson could consider the Phoenix.
He said UWGB was competitive in its offer compared to other schools.
Johnson has both an NIL agent and a father who is heavily invested in his son’s well-being.
The numbers worked out well enough that everyone was happy.
“You know, NILs and stuff now, a lot of schools give you a lot of money,” Johnson said. “But like I told my pops, I’m not trying to get rich off college. As long as I have got enough money to take care of myself and my family, I’m good.”
There is little reason to believe Johnson can’t be an impact player for UWGB this season. He could be in the starting lineup the first game in November, which just happens to be against Oklahoma State.
His addition eases the sting of losing guards Noah Reynolds to TCU and David Douglas to Fresno State in the portal this offseason.
It’s the second straight year UWGB has landed a significant prospect who had Power 5 offers, and it hopes this one works out as well as the first.
Reynolds left Wyoming after two seasons and committed to play at Wisconsin last spring, only to decommit a short time later to join two familiar coaches at UWGB in Sundance Wicks and Reynolds’ brother, Nic.
Reynolds was one of the best players in his lone season in the Horizon League, earning newcomer of the year honors and helping UWGB go from a dismal 3-29 season to 18-14. He perhaps is the biggest reason Wicks was able to leave for a bigger job at Wyoming after just one year.
There is no promise Johnson can do what Reynolds did right out of the gate. Reynolds averaged 20 points and already was a veteran of the college game while Johnson will be a rookie.
Of course, just like everything else since Gottlieb was hired by UWGB with no college coaching experience and a national radio show, anything seems possible.
“They can expect somebody that is going to have fun on the court,” Johnson said of what he hopes to bring to UWGB. “Be a good person on and off the court. Somebody who is going to be a winner and produce wins.”
