Ty-Laur Johnson will not continue his college basketball career at San Diego. The former four-star recruit plans to enter the transfer portal in search of his fourth different school in four years.
What happened?
The answer to that question is one of the greatest mysteries in college basketball today. He was either kicked off of the team, got injured, flunked out of his classes, or quit on his team with only a few games left in the regular season. Perhaps it was a combination of all four. We don’t know.
Ty-Laur Johnson loves the transfer portal.
Johnson ranked as the No. 14 player at his position in the recruiting Class of 2023 out of Our Saviour Lutheran School in Bronx, New York. He was a four-star prospect with eight scholarship offers.
Although he was trending toward Memphis, Johnson committed to Louisville.
His freshman season with the Cardinals did not live up to expectations. Not only did he average only 8.7 points, 3.6 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 23 minutes per game off of the bench, his team finished at 8-24.
Johnson chose to enter the transfer portal as a rising sophomore and landed at Wake Forest. His second year of college basketball was not any better than his first. He started only 19 of 29 games with a lower average in every statistical category. The Deacs were better when Johnson was not on the floor.
Things did not work out in North Carolina so the rising junior entered the transfer portal for a second time. He landed at the University of San Diego.
Did he quit on San Diego?
Ty-Laur Johnson started 21 of 23 games for the Toreros this season. The 155-pound point guard dropped a team-high 14.6 points with 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
There are still four games left in the regular season but San Diego is likely going to miss out on the NCAA Tournament with a record below .500. It will also be without its leading scorer moving forward.
According to head coach Steve Lavin, Johnson is no longer with the program.
“I met with Ty-Laur Johnson earlier this week. We had a productive conversation, an extensive meeting related to his future at USD. And we’ve come to an understanding that it’s best for Ty, at this juncture, to focus on his health and academics. … Naturally, we wish him well with all future endeavors.”
Neither Lavin, nor the university nor Johnson specified the reason for his sudden departure. We do not know why he is stepping away from the team indefinitely.
If it is an injury, that is one thing. If it is academics, that is another. Lavin hinted at both. It could be neither.
This is not the first time that drama has followed Johnson. He sat out of a game as a freshman because Louisville did not provide him with the right tights. His effort was subject to criticism at Wake Forest.
Without any additional information, this latest news seems to be more of the same. It certainly looks like Johnson didn’t want to play any more games for a team that isn’t winning. We just don’t know.