Texas basketball commit A.J. Johnson de-committed from the Longhorns and signed a contract with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia's National Basketball League, according to a Thursday article from ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski and ESPN Draft analyst Jonathan Givony.

AJ Johnson is the highest-profile American prospect to join the NBL's Next Stars program since Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. The program was introduced in the 2018-19 season to contract overseas players and “develop them in Australia to give them the best chance of being drafted into the NBA,” according to the Next Stars program's website.

Ball signed for the Illawarra Hawks as part of the Next Stars program in 2019. He joined now-Detroit Pistons forward RJ Hampton, who announced he would play for the New Zealand Breakers. Ball declared for the NBA Draft in 2020 after he averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 12 games and won the NBL's Rookie of the Year.

AJ Johnson, a five-star recruit out of Southern California Academy in Castaic, California, initially committed to the Longhorns over offers from Louisville, LSU, Arizona State, Kansas, USC and Xavier, among others. The 6-foot-5-inch senior averaged 16.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game during his junior season at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, according to MaxPreps.

Texas's 2023 recruiting class still features five-star forward Ron Holland out of Duncanville, Texas, who signed his letter of intent in November. The team's 2022 class had two five-star, one four-star and one three-star enrollees, and two transfers Iowa State Cyclones guard Tyrese Hunter and New Mexico State Aggies guard Sir'Jabari Rice.

Texas earned an overall record of 29-9 and a 12-6 record against conference opponents behind the scoring of Rice and guard Marcus Carr. Hunter averaged 10.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Longhorns, putting him in fourth and third place on the roster during the 2022-23 season, respectively.