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Xavier Johnson (basketball)

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Xavier Johnson
Johnson with Indiana in 2022
No. 2 – Memphis Hustle
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (1999-10-14) October 14, 1999 (age 25)
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolBishop O'Connell
(Arlington County, Virginia)
College
NBA draft2024: undrafted
Playing career2024–present
Career history
2024–presentMemphis Hustle
Career highlights and awards
  • ACC All-Freshman Team (2019)

Xavier Elijah Johnson (born October 14, 1999) is an American basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and for the Indiana Hoosiers.

Early life and high school career

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Johnson grew up in Spotsylvania County, Virginia but moved to Woodbridge, Virginia to be closer to Bishop O'Connell High School after he enrolled at the school.[1] He entered high school at 5'6, but grew six inches by his senior year. He became Bishop O'Connell's starting point guard as a junior and was named second team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) after averaging 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Johnson was named the (WCAC) Player of the Year, as well as a first-team All-State and first-team All-Metro by The Washington Post, as a senior after averaging 18.4 points, four rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.[2] Rated the 39th-best point guard prospect in his class by ESPN and a three-star recruit by 247Sports, Johnson originally committed to playing college basketball for Nebraska over Georgetown and Georgia Tech.[3][4] Johnson requested that Nebraska release him from his National Letter of Intent in the spring of his senior year after the departure of the assistant coach who recruited him.[5] He ultimately committed to Pittsburgh.[6]

College career

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Johnson with Pittsburgh in 2020

Pittsburgh

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As a freshman, Johnson led the Panthers with 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game while also averaging 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game and was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) All-Freshman team.[7][8] He was the first Pitt freshman to lead the team is scoring since 1985 and was the only player in the ACC to average at least 15 points and 4.5 assists per game.[9][10][11]

Going into his sophomore season (2019–20), Johnson was named the 75th-best collegiate basketball player by CBS Sports and the 51st-best prospect for the 2020 NBA draft by ESPN.[12][13] Johnson scored 13 points in the Fort Myers TipOff against Kansas State, with four points coming in the last ten seconds to help secure a 63–59 win.[14] He scored 20 points with six rebounds and six assists against North Carolina on January 18, 2020 to help close out the Panthers' first-ever season sweep of UNC.[15] Johnson finished the season with 11.7 points, 4.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.[16] As a junior, he averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Indiana

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Johnson put his name in the transfer portal for his fourth year, the 2021–22 season. He chose to play for Indiana over Baylor, Houston, and Saint Joseph's, among others.[17] Although Indiana already possessed two point guards, new Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson chose Johnson for the starting role.

Initially, his "aggressive style of play and headstrong attitude on the court" held him back.[18] In early February Johnson was one of five Indiana players suspended by coach Mike Woodson for violating curfew but was reinstated on February 10, after missing one game.[19] But through the course of the season Johnson found his footing. After a poor performance mid-season in the Crossroads Classic, Johnson gave "an almost perfect shooting performance" against Maryland with 24 points on 100 percent shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line, missing his only shot with 19 seconds left in the game.[18] Johnson credited his mid-season turnaround to his grandfather's death in early February, along with strong chemistry with fellow teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis.[18] He ended the season averaging 12.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. His 172 assists that year were the 5th most in a season in Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball history.[citation needed]

Although Johnson played four seasons, he retained one more year of eligibility, allowing him to play in the 2022–23 season. Before the season began, he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by the media.[20] Johnson averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He broke his foot in a game against Kansas on December 17, 2022, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.[21] Due to the injury occurring so early in the season, Johnson was granted a waiver to return for an unexpected 6th year, the 2023–24 season, which was his last for the Hoosiers.

Professional career

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After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Johnson joined the Austin Spurs on October 26, 2024[22] before being traded to the Memphis Hustle.[23]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Pittsburgh 33 33 31.2 .415 .352 .751 3.9 4.5 1.3 .1 15.5
2019–20 Pittsburgh 33 32 33.2 .373 .330 .761 3.7 4.9 1.8 .2 11.7
2020–21 Pittsburgh 18 16 28.6 .426 .321 .787 3.4 5.7 1.3 .2 14.2
2021–22 Indiana 34 34 27.7 .406 .383 .782 3.8 5.1 1.2 .1 12.1
2022–23 Indiana 11 11 25.2 .415 .370 .795 3.3 4.9 1.2 .0 9.9
2023–24 Indiana 20 13 25.6 .425 .367 .688 2.6 3.8 .8 .3 7.6
Career 149 139 29.3 .405 .350 .761 3.5 4.7 1.1 .2 12.2

Personal life

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On April 3, 2022, Johnson was arrested in Bloomington, Indiana, for reckless driving and resisting arrest.[24] He later remarked, "I thought my career was over, honestly. I got my second chance. I’m mad at myself for doing something like that, but I’m glad God gave me a second chance to come back and play, what I love to do."[25] Head coach Mike Woodson, who said he took away Johnson's driving privileges, noted that Johnson grew a lot and took advantage of his second chance: "X has grown a lot, based on the things that he's done this summer. He's put himself in a wonderful position with me being the coach that I like everything about what X is doing now because he is doing the right things on and off the court."[25]

References

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  1. ^ Coghill Jr., Taft (April 12, 2018). "Austin, others look to show friends, family where their game stands at Area All-Star Classic". The Free Lance–Star. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. ^ Barfknecht, Lee (March 30, 2018). "Barfknecht: As Husker recruit Xavier Johnson grows, so does his status as an elite point guard". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  3. ^ Basnett, Chris (September 25, 2017). "Virginia prep guard Xavier Johnson commits to Nebraska basketball". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  4. ^ "Xavier Johnson and his 'pro-level' speed expected to make instant impact for Nebraska". The Washington Post. March 15, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  5. ^ Pell, Samantha (April 17, 2018). "After decommitting from Nebraska, Xavier Johnson unsure about college choice". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  6. ^ Meyer, Craig (April 28, 2018). "Class of 2018 point guard Xavier Johnson commits to Pitt". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  7. ^ Meyer, Craig (October 28, 2019). "After a stellar freshman season, Pitt's Xavier Johnson has learned how to become a better leader". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  8. ^ "Pitt's Xavier Johnson named to All-ACC Freshman Team". The Tribune-Democrat. March 11, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  9. ^ Nesbitt, Stephen J. (October 31, 2019). "Pitt guard Xavier Johnson turns up the volume to drown out the noise". The Athletic. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  10. ^ Graves, Will (October 25, 2019). "Capel, Pitt look to take step forward in Year 2". Huntingdon Daily News. Associated Press. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  11. ^ "Two-and-done? Pitt Preparing for Future at Point After Xavier Johnson". PittsburghSportsNow.com. May 2, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  12. ^ Boone, Kyle; Norlander, Matt; Parrish, Gary (October 24, 2019). "Ranking the Top 100 And 1 best players in college basketball entering the 2019–20 season". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  13. ^ Givony, Jonathan (November 4, 2019). "NBA mock draft: Viewer's guide for our top prospects". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  14. ^ "Pitt grinds out hard-earned victory over Kansas State". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 25, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  15. ^ "Johnson scores 20, Pitt drills reeling North Carolina 66–52". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  16. ^ Wilson, Mike (March 16, 2020). "Xavier Johnson: "I am not going anywhere"". CardiacHill.com. SB Nation. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  17. ^ Osterman, Zach (April 7, 2021). "IU lands Pitt guard Xavier Johnson, one of top guards in transfer portal". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c Ybarra, Grace (14 April 2022). "That's A Wrap: Xavier Johnson". Inside the Hall. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  19. ^ "Indiana Hoosiers reinstate suspended players after curfew violation". ESPN. Associated Press. February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  20. ^ "2021–22 Big Ten Men's Basketball Postseason Honors Announced" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  21. ^ Borzello, Jeff (March 4, 2023). "Indiana's Xavier Johnson (foot) won't play again this season". ESPN. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  22. ^ "Austin Spurs Select Four Players in the 2024 NBA G League Draft". OurSportsCentral.com. October 26, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  23. ^ Memphis Hustle [@MemphisHustle] (October 26, 2024). "Welcome to The Hustle @XavierJ0hnson 🔥 We have acquired guard Xavier Johnson, the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA G League Draft, from the Austin Spurs for a 2025 second round pick (via RGV)" (Tweet). Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ "IU point guard Xavier Johnson arrested for reckless driving, resisting law enforcement". April 3, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Dopirak, Justin (September 22, 2022). "'I thought my career was over.' Xavier Johnson, IU basketball moving past April arrest". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
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