Johnson wrapped up his senior campaign at
Ypsilanti High School with averages of 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.3 blocks and 4.1 assists per game.[1]
Produced a triple double of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Class A district title game. He grabbed double-digit rebounds in 11 games as a senior.
A finalist for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award in Michigan, Johnson was a first team all-state selection and was the Ann Arbor News Washtenaw County Player of the Year. He was ranked No. 55 nationally by 247Sports.com, 56th by Rivals.com, 62nd by Scout.com and was among the nation's top 25 power forwards by ESPN.
Averaged 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds as a junior in helping Ypsilanti to a 20–5 record and the school's first regional championship since 1981. He averaged 19.7 points and 15.3 rebounds in three district games before Ypsilanti reached the state quarterfinals, where Johnson totaled 15 points and 12 boards. He was a first-team all-county selection as a junior.
In 2013, he attended the LeBron James Skills Academy[2] and Adidas Super 64.[3] Johnson attended the Pangos All-American Camp in 2014 and was awarded the Mario Ellie Award[4] and was also named to the "Cream of the Crop" Top 30.[5]
Produced a double-double for the winning White team in the 2014
Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic all-star game, totaling 14 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
Played quarterback early in his prep career.
College career
He joined the
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team for the 2014–15 season. During his three-year tenure with the Cards, Johnson made a total of 88 appearances, starting in 22 games his sophomore season[6] and in 26 as a junior.[7] Johnson averaged 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a contest during his Louisville career.[8] His best season came as a junior (2016–17) when he scored 8.0 points a game, while scooping up 5.8 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game.[9] His per 40 minutes numbers were 15.6 points and 11.3 rebounds.[8] Johnson finished 7th in the ACC[10] and 102nd nationally[11] in offensive rebounds per game.
In late April 2017, he announced his decision to skip his senior year to start his professional career and declare for the
2017 NBA draft.[12] However, he went undrafted.
Professional career
Windy City Bulls (2017–2018)
After going undrafted in the
2017 NBA draft, Johnson signed a training camp deal with the
Chicago Bulls.[13] He was waived on October 14 as one of the final preseason cuts.[14] On November 4, 2017, Johnson was included in opening night roster of the
Windy City Bulls.[15] On March 24, 2018, the
Chicago Bulls announced that they had signed Johnson,[16] but was waived on the next day.[17]
On January 11, 2019, Johnson was added to
Iowa Wolves to their roster.[19] In 21 games played for the Wolves, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game.
On September 4, 2019, Johnson signed with
Hapoel Holon of the
Israeli Premier League for the 2019–20 season.[21] On November 2, 2019, he parted ways with Holon after appearing in five games.[22]
Second stint with Iowa Wolves (2019–2020)
On November 20, 2019, the
Iowa Wolves announced that they had acquired returning right of Johnson.[23]
On January 5, 2021, Johnson signed with
Cherkaski Mavpy,[24] but never played for them and on January 25, he was included in roster of the Iowa Wolves,[25] but was later waived on February 13.[26]
On May 28, 2024, Johnson was selected by Bivouac in 2024
Big3 draft.[30]
Personal life
His mother Janetta played basketball at the
University of Wisconsin.
She is the first woman to lead the nation in blocked shots (for both men and women).[31] She still holds the single-season record for blocked shots at Wisconsin with 130. She also spent four years playing professionally in
Portugal.[31]