Jazz Johnson and Chiir Maker Sign with Portland on First Day of Early Signing Period

Coach Reveno on Johnson (Video) I Coach Reveno on Maker (Video)

PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland has signed two players to men's basketball National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, Pilots head coach Eric Reveno announced. Jazz Johnson (Lake Oswego HS/Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Chiir Maker (Newington College/Sydney, Australia) have submitted their NLI's and will join the Pilots as freshmen for the 2015-16 season.

Jazz Johnson (6-0, 175) is a combo guard that earned Oregon 6A All-State honorable mention honors last season for Lake Oswego High School. Johnson was a Three Rivers League First Team selection in his first year with the Lakers after leading the league in scoring.

Johnson helped Milwaukie High School reach the quarterfinals of the Oregon 5A State Championships as a sophomore in 2013, earning first team All-Northwest Oregon Conference honors and picking up the league scoring title as well. He was a starter as a true freshman at Benson High School in Portland for the 2011-12 season, nabbing second team All-Portland Interscholastic League and state tournament honorable mention awards.

In addition to his on-court success, Johnson has been an academic standout throughout his high school career with honor roll accolades each season.

"Jazz is a bit under the radar in our eyes," Reveno said. "Unlike most kids these days, he chose not to do a lot of the summer circuit AAU tournaments and focused on skill development in the offseason. He has been around the program a lot over the last few years and is a great fit. On the court, he can really score the ball from the guard position and also has a high basketball IQ. He uses his body well, is confident with the ball in his hands, and makes others around him better."

Johnson is the fifth Pacific Northwest standout to commit to the Pilots in the last two years, joining current freshmen Gabe Taylor (Portland, Ore.), Jason Todd (Mill Creek, Wash.) and D'Marques Tyson (Bellevue, Wash.) as well as junior transfer Max Livingston (Lake Oswego, Ore.).

"It is always good to get local talent," Reveno added. "We have had success in recent years with Northwest recruits and we think signing players of Jazz's caliber will open even more doors to some of the best talent in the region."

Chiir Maker (6-7, 190), pronounced 'share', is a versatile wing with good size and athleticism. Throughout his prep career at Newington College he put up big numbers while displaying a nice shooting stroke with good range.

"Chiir is another under-the-radar recruit that we are very excited about," Reveno noted. "His size, athleticism and skill set are intriguing for a player of his age at the wing position. He has had the benefit of working with a great coach in Rex Nottage at Newington College and focused his college recruitment on a place he knew would be a good fit, while also providing him the best opportunity to develop.

"As with all the recruits in this class, it is exciting when a player of Chiir's caliber – and has other offers – recognizes the real value we are presenting with our program.  He wants to be the best he can be, compete for a championship and do both while getting a fantastic degree."

A native of South Sudan, Maker and his family immigrated to Australia and he has helped Newington claim Gold Medal honors three straight seasons at the National Schools Championships. His team as claimed New South Wales (NSW) Independent Schools and Great Public Schools (GPS) regular season titles in 2010 and 2011, as well as GPS Tournament Championships in 2010 and 2013.

Individually, Maker was named the Most Valuable Player at the National Schoolboy Championships in 2012 and 2013. He is a three-time All-Australian National Schoolboy honoree, three-time NSW All-Schools State Team recipient, and was named to both the GPS Conference All-Star Team and The NSW Independent Schools Team each of the last three years. Maker was recognized as the MVP of the NSW Waratah League in 2014 after earning all-league honors in 2013.

He averaged 28.5 points, 18.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a senior last season in GPS action. Maker shot 47 percent from the field, 37 percent from three-point range and 74 percent from the free throw line.

Portland opens its 2014-15 regular season on Friday against the Concordia Cavaliers at the Chiles Center. The Pilots return four starters and seven of the team's top eight scorers from last year's squad that finished 15-16 overall.