Duquesne adds point guard Jackie Johnson to 2021 recruiting class

Apr. 14—Check out the shooting percentages compiled this season by Duquesne recruit Jackie Johnson, a point guard at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy.

Playing up in class against largely post-graduate players, Johnson shot 59.3% from the field, 91.9% from the foul line and an amazing 53.4% from beyond the 3-point arc.

Hard to believe, but Hargrave coach Tom Messinger insists the rims at Hargrave are no wider than they're supposed to be. "They seem like it when he shoots, sometimes," Messinger said. "No, they're regulation."

Johnson, who is set to graduate from Hargrave in May, made a verbal commitment Wednesday to Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot. Messinger called it "an absolute steal."

When contacted by the Tribune-Review on Wednesday, Messinger said, "Hopefully, you'll be calling me around this time next year to talk about Jackie Johson taking over the Atlantic 10 and getting some NBA looks. I think he has a real shot to do that."

Messinger can be excused if he's allowing his imagination to roam. Johnson (6-foot, 175 pounds) is ranked a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, but he had perhaps the best offensive season Messinger has seen at Hargrave in a decade.

He averaged 29.2 points and 4.1 3-pointers per game. "It was one of the most incredible shooting seasons I've ever seen," Messinger said.

He also averaged 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals while earning a rating as the No. 34 point guard in the nation, according to Rivals.

Hargrave boasts it has sent 109 players to Division I schools. Its lineage includes 26 NBA players since 1998, Messinger said. This season, Johnson helped Hargrave (31-1) set a school scoring record (113.7 points per game) and advanced to the Elite 8 of the National Prep Championship.

Messinger said Dambrot and assistant Rick McFadden started recruiting Johnson in early March.

"They said they really needed a guard who could come in from day 1 and run the show and score," Messinger said. "I told them there is no one in the country that can do that better than Jackie."

Johnson has scholarship offers from St. Bonaventure, UNLV and East Carolina. Messinger said Pitt and South Carolina also were interested.

"(Johnson) had a lot of high majors that were flirting with him and hadn't officially offered him," the coach said.

Of Pitt's involvement, Messinger said, "They were still kicking the tires on (players in the transfer portal). He was one of their top high school guys, but they had not officially offered him yet."

Johnson spent only one season at Hargrave after transferring from Southeast (Kansas) High School, where he averaged 28.4 points and shot 48% from the field as a junior and 25.1 points as a sophomore.

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .