Tennessee basketball star Keon Johnson made waves at the NBA Combine by setting an impressive new record on the vertical jump.
Tennessee’s Keon Johnson is hoping to secure a Top 10 selection in the upcoming NBA Draft. His showing at the NBA Combine certainly isn’t hurting his case.
On Thursday, Johnson absolutely shattered the existing record for the vertical jump.
Here’s how he did it:
That ridiculous leap measured 48 inches. The previous record set by Kenny Gregory in 2001 was 45.1 inches.
Keon Johnson smashed the NBA Combine record in the vertical jump
Johnson is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who impressed as a freshman with the Volunteers. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals while establishing himself as a capable defender.
His athleticism was already clear from his debut season in college basketball. That vertical jump and his other testing have confirmed what an uber athlete the young guard is.
Johnson’s 41.5-inch standing vertical jump was 4.5 inches higher than anyone else at the Combine.
He also showed out with the third-best mark in the three quarter sprint.
In the most recent mock drafts from CBS Sports, Kyle Boone projected Johnson No. 13 to the Pacers while Gary Parish slotted him in at No. 9 to the Kings.
It should be interesting to see how his stock rises after an objectively strong Combine showing.
Then again, the NBA Combine isn’t everything. Gregory set records in the max and standing vertical and still went undrafted in 2001.
The difference for Johnson is the impression he’s already made as a shooting guard with great potential. If teams see him as a true 3-and-D prospect, he won’t have to wait long to hear his name called on draft night.
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