Updated 5:16 p.m.
Incoming recruit Nigel Johnson is decommiting from GW.
“He just thinks that everything was going so fast for him that he wanted to take a step back and re-assess his decision,” Louis Wilson, the head coach at Riverdale Baptist, where Johnson is a senior, said.
Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The guard was slated to be a member of the Colonials’ 2013-14 recruiting class, where he would have joined recruits Nick Griffin and Skyler White. But unlike Griffin, Johnson had yet to sign his National Letter of Intent, giving rise to speculation that he was considering cutting ties with GW.
He’s had an explosive senior year at Riverdale Baptist, which Wilson said may factor into Johnson’s desire to explore other options and potentially higher-level programs
“I’m sure, in the back of his mind, that’s a thought. I think that he just thought that he rushed into his situation early on and now he wants to take a step back and re-evaluate what he has,” Wilson said. “He only took, I believe he took two official visits, and I think he wants to find three more official visits so he can feel like he has completed the recruiting process.”
Wilson said he is unaware of any other schools Johnson may be considering.
“Not at this point,” Wilson said. “He just decommitted as I understand, last night.”
Johnson’s departure is a blow for head coach Mike Lonergan and the Colonials, who were already looking to incoming recruits as desperately needed boosters for the team’s shooting performance.
Wilson said that Johnson’s decision to decommit should not cast a negative light on the GW coaching staff, adding that the Colonials were always an attractive option for the senior guard.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with the coaching staff at GW. They’ve been fantastic, they’ve been awesome,” Wilson said. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with the coaching staff.”
Johnson’s exit leaves two open slots in the Colonials’ roster, with the potential for a third to come, after the news that sophomore forward Jonathan Davis will transfer from the program and senior forward David Pellom has been given a release.
The late signing period for 2013-14 recruits begins April 17.
