PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Nov. 20, 2019) – Rutgers women's basketball head coach C. Vivian Stringer and her staff have signed Diamond Johnson, the No. 6 ranked prospect in the nation, to a National Letter of Intent for its 2020 recruiting class.
 
Stringer's 2020 class now boasts four recruits ranked in the nation's Top 55 players. Johnson represents Rutgers' 10^th five-star recruit since 2007, and highest ranked high school prospect since 2009.
 
ESPN ranks Rutgers with the No. 8 recruiting class nationally for 2020, and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
 
Johnson, who announced her verbal commitment to Rutgers live on Instagram on Saturday evening, is a 5-foot-5 point guard from Philadelphia with dynamic shooting and playmaking skills. The 2019 Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls' Basketball Player of the Year out of Neumann Goretti High School, Johnson scored 54 points in the District 12 championship game last winter.
 
"Diamond is a special basketball player," Coach Stinger said. "We believe she is the best guard in the country, bar none. She is Rutgers' kind of guard, which is saying she is the whole package with her flair, her style, her defense, and most impressively, her scorer's mentality. Diamond is in the very image of the numerous Rutgers guards that have brought us deep into NCAA Tournaments and have gone on to successful professional careers in the WNBA."



Johnson chose to further her academic and athletic career at Rutgers University over several academic institutions with nationally ranked women's basketball programs.
 
"This was just a very emotional moment," Johnson said. "This is everything I've worked for: the long nights in the gym, the early mornings. I am definitely proud I made this choice and I am 100 percent sure that Rutgers is the place for me. I felt loved and supported by the Rutgers coaching staff during the entire recruiting process."
 
Coach Stringer added, "Diamond has the confidence, command, presence and anticipation to be an elite scoring guard, which is something that has proven to take our program to the next level. Players like that seldom come in one package, but she is something special. Diamond is the epitome of a Rutgers guard."
 
The prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year accolades are awarded to students who exemplify excellence in athletics, academics and character. Johnson led Neumann Goretti to a 21-8 record and a berth in the PIAA Class 3A state tournament quarterfinals. She averaged 28.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.0 steals through the district championship. She was named the first Gatorade Player of the Year from Neumann Goretti.
 
"What sets her apart is her ability to score at will and her understanding of the game," Stringer said. "Our fans are really going to enjoy watching her play. She is entertaining, she is brilliant, and she works extremely hard in everything she does. She is a great student on top of all the basketball talent."
 
Johnson maintained a 3.57 GPA in the classroom heading into her senior year. She has donated her time as a mentor for young children and has volunteered locally on behalf of the Christopher's Footprints Child Care Center.
 
In the News
ESPN.com - Rutgers lands No. 6 2020 prospect Diamond Johnson
ESPN.com – Rutgers goes from unranked to No. 8 nationally in recruiting class ranking with signing of Diamond Johnson
NJ.com - C. Vivian Stringer adds nation's No. 6 recruit to loaded Rutgers women's basketball 2020 class
Philadelphia Inquirer - Neumann Goretti guard Diamond Johnson surprises some and commits to Rutgers
 
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