Pitt graduate transfer and UK basketball target Cameron Johnson picks North Carolina

Pittsburgh graduate transfer Cameron Johnson has committed to North Carolina, according to Scout.com’s Evan Daniels.

Johnson — a 6-foot-9 wing — emerged this spring as a UK recruiting target as John Calipari looked to bolster his backcourt for the 2017-18 season, and he took the first official visit of his new recruitment to Lexington in April.

The return of shooting guard Hamidou Diallo and surprise commitment of 6-9 wing Kevin Knox lessened UK’s need for Johnson, however, and the Tar Heels rose in his recruitment, which also included schools such as Arizona, UCLA and Oregon.

Johnson averaged 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 33.3 minutes per game this past season, leading the Panthers with 78 three-pointers and shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range. He graduated from Pitt this spring and would have had two seasons of immediate eligibility had he transferred to a school outside of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Pitt restricted his movement within the conference, but talks have been ongoing to grant Johnson a waiver that would allow him to play for UNC this season. If he does not get that waiver from Pitt, he will have to sit out next season and then be eligible for one season of play in 2018-19.

There are no other players on UK’s recruiting radar for the 2017 cycle.

This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Pitt graduate transfer and UK basketball target Cameron Johnson picks North Carolina."