2015

Nt3- llv~ standout Johnson signs with East Tennessee State - The Di...

http://www.cdispatch.com 'sports 'artic le .asp?aid=42 I58

Johnson to be happy when he finally picked a school.

"It was crazy," Johnson said. "It went on like that ever since I got my score on the ACT."

Johnson , a 6-foot-7, i85-pound sv.ingman, averaged i6.5 points, 6-4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.1 steals per game this past season for the Trojans, who went 22-8 this past season. New Hope lost to Center Hill in the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A State tournament. Last month, :\ew Hope senior point guard Jayton Bardley signed with East Central Community College in Decatur. New Hope coach Drew McBrayer also hopes senior guard Demyis Mayberry 'vill get a chance to play basketball in college.

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Bardley, Johnson, Mayberry, and Terryonte Thomas played integral roles in a balanced offense in which all of the players had their chances to shine.

One of Johnson's biggest moments came in a 58-56 victory against Meridian in the i8th-annual Joe Horne Columbus Christmas Invitational. Johnson scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half to help New Hope rally from an 18-point deficit.

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On the second day of the event the follo,ving evening, Johnson, a member ofThe Clarion-Ledger's Dandy Dozen team, had 21 points in a.70-69 victory against Columbus 70-69.A

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McBrayer said Johnson blossomed into a better rebounder late in the season, but his forte was scoring. McBrayer said Johnson didn't receive his first scholarship offer until two weeks ago. He said he finished with 10 scholarship offers. 'There were definitely you could see it in his eyes," McBrayer said. "It was time for him to go (against Meridian) and you could see it in his eyes. There were times he literally threw us on his back and \\illed us in to win." \ \.ith a solid core of players for the past two years, YfcBrayer said Johnson grew more comfortable m his role . He said Johnson matured and understood he needed to continue to push hard because :-:c 1iadn't secured a scholarship offer. : me :_Gi; ': !!'H ~::>·: ~ ... o: :::...: :i.rc:.... ciy haq;:i~ ar: i='? rrl!al~ a.ad al:-c.a.c. h~\1l:= ~ig::cci .::.omewhere.• >le Brayer saJd. He ,,·asn t illere yet. so tie st:Ll had to pro,·e himself. ,,·hich I thmk helped him in the long run because he had to fight and cla'' fo r it to make sure we got there. "You get so late in the process and a lot of the schools drop out. Like you said, it is fingers and toes crossed. We knew he was going to play college basketball next year, whether it be at the Division I level or the junior college level. Johnson said he listened to his mother, Phebie, who encouraged him and urged him to stay positive. McBrayer said Johnson found that balance on and off the court and was able to lift his grades and his score on the standardized test to open the door for Division I schools to scramble to try to secure his skills. McBrayer said Johnson has a frame that easily should be able to add 25-30 pounds. "He has a great frame on him," McBrayer said. "He will get in a nutrition program and in a strength program. With his size and his skill level and his ability, that is the only thing lacking from him right now is that weight and strength. Once he gets it, that kid will be tough to stop." "We hoped he would be able to make it to where he was, and he gets his scores (on the standardized test) back and everything falls into place."

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