For Sacred Heart star ZaKiyah Johnson, whirlwind recruiting process is 'a dream come true'

It was the summer of 2020; ZaKiyah Johnson was playing in an AAU basketball tournament a few weeks before starting eighth grade.

Johnson’s coach pulled her from the game and handed her a phone. University of Louisville women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz was on the other end.

“He said, ‘I want to offer you,’” Johnson said earlier this week. “I was so young and so confused. I was like, ‘What’s this mean?’ And then my dad figured it out, and he dropped a tear. We were like, ‘This is getting serious.’”

Two and a half years later, recruiting is a big part of Johnson’s life. Now a sophomore at Sacred Heart Academy, Johnson is ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 recruit in the nation in the Class of 2025.

Starting with that 2020 call from Walz, Johnson has scholarship offers from nearly 40 NCAA Division I schools.

5-star prospect:ZaKiyah Johnson dominates as Sacred Heart continues Seventh Region reign

'This is what I chose to do'

Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir hears from college coaches on a daily basis, showing texts she received Monday from assistants at U of L and Maryland. Moir said the entire coaching staff from Arizona sat behind Sacred Heart’s bench during the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix just before Christmas.

Moir held several workouts for Johnson during the fall, with eight or nine coaches showing up for each.

Scott Johnson, ZaKiyah’s coach for the AAU West Virginia Thunder, handles a lot of the recruiting process. Her mother, TaNeisha Johnson, and father, Butch Jointer, also are involved — at varying degrees.

“I tell her mom, ‘Don’t give anybody my phone number,’” said Jointer, who also is the boys basketball coach at Frankfort High School. “I know how it is. I don’t want those phone calls.”

Johnson tries not to let the process overwhelm her.

“I like to think of it as a dream come true,” she said. “I use most of it to push me to go harder. Sometimes I do get stressed, but that’s just life. This is what I chose to do.”

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'More work to do'

For now, Johnson is focused on the Sweet 16 as the No. 1 Valkyries chase a third straight state championship. Sacred Heart opens play at Rupp Arena in Lexington at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday against Lawrence County.

Johnson leads the Valkyries in scoring (22.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rpg). This comes after a freshman season that saw her named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year, Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year and Sweet 16 MVP.

Her scholarship offers run the gamut, including from seven of the top 15 teams in the current Associated Press Top 25 — No. 1 South Carolina, No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 Connecticut, No. 9 LSU, No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 12 Ohio State and No. 14 Oklahoma.

She has offers from schools that have won nine of the past 10 national championships — Connecticut (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), Baylor (2012, 2019), South Carolina (2017, 2022) and Notre Dame (2018).

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It's a wonder why even more schools haven’t extended offers.

Johnson said some schools won’t offer until players enter their junior year and more academic transcripts are available. Moir noted some schools won’t extend offers until players make official visits to campus.

College coaches won’t be allowed to contact Johnson directly until June 15. But Johnson can reach out to coaches, as she did last summer when South Carolina coach Dawn Staley made a scholarship offer.

“Being able to talk to her, I was shocked at first,” Johnson said. “I was like, ‘I’m really on the phone with one of the best coaches that’s ever done it.’ That did show me how good I’ve become, but I have a lot more work to do.”

Johnson has no set timetable for narrowing her college choices, though she likely will make a few visits this summer. She expects to wait until the summer before her senior season to announce a commitment.

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'NIL changed the game'

Jointer, who played two seasons at Western Kentucky from 2005-07, said the family hasn’t spent much time talking about the Name Image and Likeness (NIL) benefits that could come for a player of Johnson’s stature. But those benefits likely will be available.

“NIL changed the game for college sports,” Jointer said. “Money is money, and you want your kid to be comfortable. Some college athletes, especially when I was playing, you struggled. Knowing you can get an NIL deal — it may not be that much — but you know there’s something that can help you out.”

Moir said Johnson’s outgoing personality will help her when it comes to NIL deals.

“She’s great on social media,” Moir said. “She really has the whole package, not only the game. The teachers here love her, and she works really hard.”

For this week, at least, Johnson's attention is on the Sweet 16. The Valkyries are ranked No. 12 in the nation by ESPN and have won 40 straight games against Kentucky competition.

College coaches surely will be watching, but Johnson just wants to enjoy the moment.

“Obviously, I’m looking forward to playing basketball,” she said. “But just being with my team all week. Most people kind of get irritated with being with the same people for a long time, but we’re just one big family. Being with each other just makes our day. I’m just ready to get there and win another ring.”

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA Sweet 16: Sacred Heart Academy's ZaKiyah Johnson on recruiting