Arizona basketball: Wildcats pursuing Pittsburgh grad transfer Cameron Johnson

Johnson is a rare grad transfer who has two years of eligibility left

With at least two players leaving early for the NBA Draft, the Arizona Wildcats have a few roster spots to fill this offseason.

The Wildcats are expected to hit both the recruiting trail and the transfer market to fill those spots and it appears they have interest in Pittsburgh Panthers graduate transfer Cameron Johnson.

Corey Evans of Rivals.com reported that Sean Miller held an in-home visit with Johnson on Sunday night.

Johnson, a lanky 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore, averaged 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this past season. He was an efficient scorer, shooting 51 percent on 2-pointer, 42 percent on 3s (on 6.8 attempts per game), and 81 percent from the free throw line.

Johnson redshirted in his first year at Pitt in 2013-14 then only played eight games in 2014-15, leading the NCAA to grant him an extra year of eligibility.

And seeing that Johnson graduated in three years, it means he can play immediately at his new school and has two years of eligibility left.

For that reason, Johnson is a hot commodity on the transfer market, and he reportedly already holds offers from 20 schools, including Arizona, Oregon, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Johnson’s father told TribLive.com that Pitt has blocked his son from transferring to an ACC school or a future opponent.

Kyle Tucker of SECCountry.com reports Kentucky has a “good chance” of landing Johnson.

Johnson played the 3 for Pitt, per KenPom, and easily had the team’s best offensive rating (120.7), plus had the third-best defensive box plus-minus on the team (1.0), proving his worth on both ends of the floor.

Here is how his Pitt bio describes him as a player:

Tall and slender with long arms, a nice outside shot and the ability to drive to the basket ... an evolving player ready who emerged as a long distance weapon for the Panthers last season ... Shooting stroke and ability to play multiple positions make him an ideal fit for Kevin Stallings’ up-tempo, motion-based offense ... An excellent three-point shooter whether on spot ups, in transition or coming off screens ... rapidly developing an effective mid-range game ... Rocketed onto the recruiting scene after he grew five inches late in high school ... the added size and length at the guard position have enabled him to compete at a high level ... has continued to grow each year at Pitt ... Handles the ball well, plays well under pressure, has great range on his three-point shot, can penetrate well and finish at the basket.

Johnson seems to be a type of player Arizona has not had in recent seasons, which is a 6-foot-8 forward that can defend multiple positions and shoot the 3 ball with prolific efficiency.

But evidently it will be difficult for Miller and company to nab him as several schools are actively recruiting him.

Here are some of Johnson’s highlights from the 2016-17 season:

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