The new student on the block
Local high school standout makes presence at Nevada known
Armon Johnson is finally here.
After tearing up Northern Nevada for the last two seasons playing for the Hug High School Hawks, Johnson comes to the Nevada men’s basketball team with a shot at going from local prep star to starting point guard of a program that’s been in the NCAA Tournament four straight years.
“I always knew coming in I would be competing for playing time,” Johnson said. “They’re showing me the ropes and making me the best that I can be. They’re really teaching me how to play defense a lot. That’s the big thing in college games.”
But Johnson wants to be more. He wants to be a leader.
“He’s trying to make me a better leader,” Johnson said of Nevada coach Mark Fox’s intentions. “I need to learn leadership at doing whatever I need to do to help the team win.”
Johnson replaces one of the top point guards in the country. Ramon Sessions left Nevada for the NBA and is now playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Last year’s backup, Lyndale Burleson, is academically ineligible until the end of the fall semester.
The 2007 Hug grad has the height and lankiness that Sessions didn’t possess. Although Sessions was a better passer, Johnson can penetrate through the defense and score inside and out.
Fox said Johnson has a good future ahead of him.
“Armon is a talented guy, and we’re excited about his future,” Fox said. “I want local players if they’re good enough to help us win. Armon is good enough to help us win. The fact that he is a local kid is a bonus. He was a part of our team before he joined.”
Common with most freshman players, Johnson is adjusting to the game’s speed. Johnson, though, feels he will adjust well.
“I’ve played with older guys all my life,” Johnson said. “That really helped me back in the past.”
Being a local kid should create a welcoming atmosphere similar to what McQueen grad Matt LaGrone and Virginia City grad Curry Lynch received their first season. Johnson grew into a big fan of the Wolf Pack during his high school days.
“Being around people from Reno is very exciting,” Johnson said. “I played my best (for the Hawks) and will continue playing my best here. They’ve been real supportive of me. I just want to do my best and play my hardest.”
When the Wolf Pack takes the court for its first home game, Johnson admits he is eager to show the crowd what he’s capable of at the college level.
“I’m looking forward to playing in front of people from Reno,” the 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard said.
Johnson said he will use the same attitude with Nevada as he did with Hug. He helped transform the Hawks into a dominant powerhouse in Northern Nevada.
“At Hug, I was doing what I had to do to get my team to win,” Johnson said. “That’s what I’m trying to do here. I’ve had good experiences playing with players in the past and it’s helped me.”
Johnson had his options to play elsewhere, but wanted Nevada because of the program’s quality and his family could watch him. Washington State was also looking at Johnson.
“Here was the perfect situation for me,” Johnson said.
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on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 12:58 am and is filed under 2007 Basketball Preview, Men's Basketball, Sports.
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