Over the weekend at the On the Radar Hoops Summer Jam, Blaze Johnson literally took flight, resulting in a highlight-reel dunk over the Class of 2028's #1 player, AJ Williams. The dunk capped off a win for the Atlanta Celtics over last year's Peach Jam champion GA Stars, but it also signaled to many that Johnson is primed for a big summer explosion. The sophomore spent this past high school season at Overtime Elite, where he competed against bigger, stronger, older players. What was supposed to be a year of development quickly turned into Johnson being named a starter for basically the entire season.

The 6'4 lefty experienced some ups and downs throughout his sophomore campaign and took it all in stride with his signature infectious smile. His hard work throughout the year has resulted in a more mature body and improved athleticism. His coaches and support staff have been quoted as saying that Johnson is the first-to-show-up, last-to-leave-the-gym type of player.

Johnson's hard work is paying off as he now finds himself on ESPN's SCNext 25 rankings for the Class of 2028, and he also received an invitation to USA Basketball Mini Camp, which took place during this year's Final Four Weekend in Indianapolis. A week before that, Johnson took home MVP honors at the 2026 Smart NBTC National Finals in the Philippines after averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. There will no doubt be a ton of scouts and college coaches courtside to keep up with Johnson's progress over the summer as he competes for an Adidas 3SSB Title with his Celtic teammates.

Kerry Willis is a contributor to On the Radar Hoops.