North Carolina head coach Roy Williams spoke Friday afternoon in Greensboro about his team's NCAA Tournament second round opponent, LSU, and what the Tar Heels will need to do to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight year.[details]
HEADER CHRIS JOHNSON Power Forward/Center Louisiana State University Tigers #21 6:10.6-211 Montross, Virginia Laurinburg Prep Colonial Beach High School
OVERVIEW The rail-thin pivot man will be forced to shift to the forward position at the NBA level to compensate for his lack of bulk. Still, with his long wingspan and explosive leaping ability, he is one of the better defensive performers eligible for the draft. In his last 60 games, he amassed 418 of his career 454 rebounds. He has excelled at contesting the opponent's shot, as his 95 blocks as a senior rank fifth on the school single-season record list and his 176 blocks as a Tiger place him behind only Shaquille O'Neal (412) on LSU's all-time record chart.
Johnson's athleticism and size have enticed NBA scouts, but he clearly needs to add bulk and strength to his lanky frame in order to earn decent minutes at the next level. His offensive game has yet to appear, but he runs the floor well and shows the quickness one might find in a guard, rather than a player who will make his living under the boards.
Johnson flew under the radar during his playing days at Colonial Beach High School. In his final season with the team, he emerged as a scoring threat, going on to average 22.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He later attended Laurinburg Prep, where his team captured the national championship. He averaged 2.7 blocks, 3.9 rebounds and 8.6 points per game, shooting over 42 percent from three-point range while teaming in the frontcourt with fellow 2009 NBA Draft eligible power forward Robert Dozier of Memphis.
At Louisiana State, Johnson appeared in just 10 games as a freshman, averaging 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds while logging a total of 43 minutes on the court. He was again buried on the bench as a sophomore, appearing in 18 games. He more than doubled his scoring and rebounding output (3.2 ppg/1.6 rpg) while blocking 12 shots.
Johnson had by far his best season as a Tiger in 2007-08, despite missing seven midseason contests with a right hand fracture. He scored a career-high 289 points (11.6 ppg), shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range. He made 85.2 percent of his free throws, grabbed 165 rebounds (6.6 rpg) and totaled 66 blocked shots, the seventh-best season total by an LSU player.
In his most extensive action, the senior center played in 35 games in 2008-09. He failed to match his scoring production from the previous season, making 45.5 percent of his shots from the field and 74.7 percent from the line. He finished with averages of 7.7 points and 7.2 boards per game. He also blocked 95 shots, tying for the fifth-best season output in school annals.
2008-09 SEASON Started all 35 games, finishing with 271 points (7.7 ppg) on 107 of 236 field goals (45.3 percent), shooting 20 percent from three-point range (1 of 5) while connecting on 56 of 75 attempts (74.7 percent) from the line...Grabbed 253 rebounds (7.2 rpg), as his 95 blocked shots tied Stromille Swift (1999-2000) for fifth on the school single-season record list, in addition to ranking second in the Southeastern Conference this season...Charged with 57 turnovers, as he came up with 41 assists (1.2 apg) and 16 steals (0.4 spg)...Produced 12 double-figure scoring performances and reached at least 10 rebounds in a game eight times and registered four double-doubles.
2007-08 SEASON Missed seven games at midseason due to a right hand fracture, but Johnson had his best season with the Tigers, scoring a career-high 289 points (11.6 ppg) while shooting 52.5 percent from the field (114 of 217)...Made 15 of 49 three-point attempts (30.6 percent) and 46 of 54 free throws (85.2 percent)...Snatched 165 rebounds (6.6 rpg) with 66 blocked shots (2.6 bpg), the seventh-best season total in school history...His rebounding average ranked 12th in the Southeastern Conference and his blocked shots ranked second...Had 16 steals (0.6 spg), 20 assists (0.8 spg) and 60 turnovers, while starting 22 of 25 games, logging 746 minutes of action...Scored in double figures 16 times.
2006-07 SEASON Played in 18 games during the season and started two games vs. Alabama and at Mississippi State...Totaled 58 points (3.2 ppg) on 24 of 43 field goals (55.8 percent), 3 of 6 three-pointers (50 percent) and 7-of-11 free throws (63.6 percent)...Collected three assists, 29 rebounds (1.6 rpg), 12 blocked shots (0.7 bpg) and two steals while being charged with eight turnovers.
2005-06 SEASON Saw action in 10 games as a freshman, averaging 4.3 minutes a game as he totaled 13 points (1.3 ppg), seven rebounds (0.7 rpg), three blocked shots, two steals, three assists and six turnovers in 43 minutes of playing time.
CAREER NOTES Johnson appeared in a total of 89 games over four seasons, logging 1,794 minutes on the court (20.4 mpg)...Scored 631 points (7.2 ppg) on 251 of 514 field goals (48.8 percent), 19 of 66 three-point attempts (28.8 percent) and 110 of 142 free throws (77.5 percent)...Grabbed 454 rebounds (5.2 rpg), as his 176 blocked shots rank second in school history behind Shaquille O'Neal (412, 1989-92)...His 77 blocked shots in 2007-08 rank seventh on the school single-season record list and his 95 blocks as a senior tied Stromille Swift (1999-2000) for fifth on LSU's annual record chart...Handed out 67 assists (0.8 apg), as he had 36 steals (0.4 spg) and 131 turnovers (1.5 tpg).
HIGH SCHOOL Attended Colonial Beach (Montross, Va.) High School...In his final season with the team, he emerged as a scoring threat, going on to average 22.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
INJURY REPORT 2007-08 Season: Suffered a right hand fracture in the second half vs. Tulane (1/02), missing the next seven games vs. Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.
PREP SCHOOL Attended Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep, leading the team to the national championship, as he averaged 8.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks a game as a senior and shot 42 percent from three-point range while playing for head coach Chris Chaney in 2004-05.
PERSONAL General Studies major...Son of the late Sandra L. Johnson...Born 7/15/85 in Washington, D.C...Resides in Montross, Virginia.
SCOUTING REPORT Positives: Has a vastly undeveloped frame, but possesses a good wingspan, minimal body fat, lean muscles, long arms and a great reach, which he uses regularly to excel as a shot blocker...Explosive leaper, with the timing and reach to get into position to contest almost any shot above the rim...Runs the floor with great ease for a player of his size and shows the speed to separate from the defender on crossovers...Also does a good job of catching his man out of position with his hesitation moves...Quick off his feet, making him ideal for above-the-rim action...Good 5-on-5 player who uses his length well and likes to get into the passing lanes often...Has the hops to dunk the ball from a standing position and works well with his guards getting off the screen to execute the spot-up jumper...Has very good coordination and footwork moving inside to position for the rebound, but needs to add considerable strength to prevent him from getting pushed back by the more physical NBA defenders...Stays low in his stride to the basket and executes nice spin moves to escape his man when shifting into the mid post...His high release and elevation make it very tough to contest his jump shots...Lacks basketball IQ, but does a decent job of creating his shot, whether in transition on drives to the basket or stepping back to pop in a jumper from 10-12 feet ...Has a developing jump shot, showing better confidence in his perimeter skills as a junior...Has the leaping ability to play above the rim and times his jumps well to get around the opponent to secure the rebound...Uses his long limbs well in attempts to alter the opponent's shot or disrupt the passing lane... Has the speed to get in front on the fast break and is an unselfish passer who won't take difficult shots, preferring to bounce the ball out to the open teammate...High intensity type that runs the court well and uses his length efficiently to keep the ball high when playing in the post...Elevates well to execute dunks and follow-ups...Has a nice, soft touch on his fadeaway and also has developed an effective bank shot that he uses often when facing the basket...Has the quickness you normally see in a small forward on pick-&-roll plays... Can surprise a lethargic defender when he suddenly pulls up, sets his feet and fires the flat-footed jump shot.
Negatives: His biggest weakness is just that - a lack of strength, as he struggles to maintain his position working in the post vs. more physical types...His frame may be at maximum growth potential and he is older than most in this draft class (age 24), which makes it unlikely that his body will continue to develop naturally...Has good court speed, but he seems to be a step behind when having to move laterally, which is evident when he fails to stay in front of perimeter shooters...Must work on his shooting mechanics, as his release motion is too erratic and he generally kicks his legs out often, making him get off balanced when trying to fall back from the basket to execute his shot...Gets out-muscled often when working in the post and must develop a more aggressive back-to-the-basket game, as he will just back away when the action gets too physical in the paint...Does not have the leg strength to hold his position on the block and while he is an effective shooter at the charity stripe, his inability to draw contact does not get him to the foul line as often as he should.
Compares To: ANTHONY RANDOLPH, Golden State -- Like his former teammate at LSU, Johnson is very skinny. NBA teams fear that with his frail frame he will never develop quality post skills, especially on the defensive end. He is a decent rebounder and capable shot blocker, thanks to his wingspan and explosive leaping ability, but with adequate lateral quickness, unless he can suddenly develop bulk and strength he might be better served playing in Europe.
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