As March Madness wraps, players like ZaKiyah Johnson juggle basketball with recruiting calls and NIL

APNews - 06/04
Recruitment letters have overwhelmed one long shoe box, along with a backpack. ZaKiyah Johnson will eventually get around to reading them, though it could be a while before the highly prized recruit responds to those piquing her interest.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Recruitment letters have overwhelmed one long shoe box, along with a backpack set aside for the frontrunners. ZaKiyah Johnson will eventually get around to reading them, her mother believes, though it could be a while before the highly prized basketball recruit responds to those piquing her interest.

The junior wing ranked as a top prospect for next season has pared her initial list down to a dozen schools, a group that includes defending national champion LSU, two-time champion South Carolina, UConn and nearby Louisville.

Recruiting phone calls come late in the afternoon, often after Johnson arrives home from practice at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville. Johnson says she politely answers and talks for a few minutes, a routine that figures to continue well into summer. Official visits will soon follow, a process that ...
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