Flau’jae Johnson was named the SEC Freshman of the Year after starting all 36 games at point guard for the LSU women’s basketball team. The former four-star recruit averaged 11 points and 5.9 rebounds per game to help the Tigers capture their first-ever national title.
However, she almost went to Miami.
Johnson, the daughter of late rapper Camoflauge, grew up in Georgia and left Sprayberry High School as a McDonald’s All-American and the all-time leading scorer. The 5-foot-10 guard was (and is) like that.
Although Johnson could have gone pretty much anywhere in the country, her recruitment came down to the Hurricanes and the Bayou Bengals. In the end, she committed to LSU and quickly became a breakout star as a freshman.
Kim Mulkey, the coaching staff, and the supporting cast presumably played a big role in Johnson’s decision. NIL may have also been a factor on some level.
Flau’jae Johnson’s decision came down to one big thing.
In the end, Johnson chose LSU over Miami because of nightlife. Or, in some ways, a lack thereof.
While speaking to Hanna and Hayley Cavinder on the Twin Talk Podcast, Johnson revealed that she ultimately decided not to play for the Hurricanes because she would have been too lit in the Miami streets. It’s not like Baton Rouge is tame, but as she put it, it’s “slower.”
Johnson’s comments are interesting from two different perspectives:
- Is Miami’s party scene a deterrent for recruits who want to be in an environment that is more focused on the task at hand — winning?
- On the flip side, is LSU boring?
Anyone who has been to Tigerland knows that the second question isn’t entirely valid. But it is interesting to hear Johnson say that she was concerned with how things might have gone off of the court if she had chose the Canes over the Tigers.
The Cavinder twins backed up her thoughts by saying that it is easy to get distracted in Miami and they aren’t wrong!