Colorado basketball fans watched KJ Simpson evolve from a talented but inconsistent player to one who authored one of the greatest seasons in program history.
The nation saw the end product as Simpson enjoyed a stellar three-game run in the NCAA Tournament. Back in Southern California, Isaiah Johnson was watching, too.
On Aug. 15, Johnson became the first commitment for the Colorado men’s basketball team’s 2025 recruiting class. As it turned out, Simpson turned into a sounding board with his own recruiting pitch for Johnson.
Johnson’s father, Chris Johnson, is a personal trainer who often works with clients from Klutch Sports, the Los Angeles-based player representation agency that counts Simpson as one of its clients. The elder Johnson served as Simpson’s trainer in the months leading up to the June NBA draft, which saw Simpson cap a historic draft day for the CU program by getting picked in the second round (No. 42 overall) by Charlotte.
In turn, Simpson and Isaiah Johnson soon met, and Johnson became the latest in a line of guards from the Los Angeles area — a club that includes Simpson and NBA veteran Spencer Dinwiddie — looking to coach Tad Boyle’s program to take them to the next level.
“My dad actually trained (Simpson) through his NBA draft process. So I met him this offseason,” Johnson said. “As soon as I mentioned Colorado was recruiting me, we’ve been talking a lot more ever since.
“(Simpson) has talked to me a lot about the process he went through. He said he kind of struggled the first two years getting used to it. Then that third year, he felt like he was prepared and everything kind of took off from there. You can see where he’s at now. He just talked to me about the process that he and his teammates had been through, and he just felt like his growth, it was there.”
Johnson is a 6-foot-1 guard who sources say projects more of a developmental player than one expected to make an immediate splash in the 2025-26 season, when the Buffs’ roster projects to be heavy with sophomores and freshmen.
Johnson is listed as a three-star guard by 247Sports, which ranks Johnson as the No. 31 2025 recruit in California and the No. 52 point guard in the nation. He is set to make his official visit on Sept. 21 in conjunction with CU football’s Big 12 opener against Baylor. It likely will be a critical recruiting weekend for Boyle’s program.
The Buffs project to have five slots available for 2025, including the open scholarship the Buffs are taking into the fall, plus those of the four seniors on this season’s roster (graduate transfers Andrej Jakimovski, Elijah Malone and Trevor Baskin, plus veteran guard Julian Hammond III). CU expects to sign at least four prep players on signing day in November.
In the meantime, Johnson has his sights focused on a personal to-do list before he moves to Boulder.
“Definitely need to work on my practice habits. Come into practice every day with the mindset to get better, because I know that will definitely carry on to college,” Johnson said. “Lifting and just getting stronger physically. I think that’s also a big step for me to be able to come in and compete right away. I definitely think I’m just a ‘basketball player’ with high IQ, can play on the ball, off the ball. Whatever coach needs me to be. I just think I bring a certain level of IQ and toughness to the team.”
Originally Published:
