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Minnesota will grant Jarvis Johnson a release if he were to pursue one

Jarvis Johnson, Malik Jones

AP

AP

Jarvis Johnson, an incoming freshman point guard, was not cleared to play at Minnesota in June, but the university will honor his scholarship. If Johnson, the Minneapolis native, were to seek a playing career elsewhere, Minnesota would grant him a release.

“He knows that and the family knows that,” Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino told Amelia Rayno of the Star Tribune on Tuesday evening.

Johnson committed to Minnesota in September 2014 over offers from Baylor, UNLV, Wichita State and Wisconsin. It was revealed on June 15 that Johnson was not cleared to play for the Golden Gophers because of a internal defibrillator implanted in his chest in 2010. As an eighth grader, Johnson was diagnosed with hydropathic cardiomyopathy (HCM) after he collapsed during a practice. His heart stopped beating for roughly 10 minutes.

Johnson said last month that he hopes to play college ball at some point in his career despite the diagnosis.

A member of a five-man recruiting class, the 6-foot-1 Johnson was rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.

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