UNC’s Johnson improves stock in senior season

North Carolina forward Brice Johnson was one of the faces of college basketball this season. From dominant 30-point, 20-rebound outings to making first team All-America to leading North Carolina to the national championship game, Johnson was not only possibly the most improved player in college basketball this season, but he simply might have been the best big man in the sport.

The 6-foot-9 forward from South Carolina had one of the better seasons a big man has ever produced in Chapel Hill, averaging a 17-point, 10.4-rebound double-double. Almost as important as that though, he became a well-rounded player who throughout the season became a better, more willing defender as the Tar Heels made their stretch run toward that thwarted national championship.

However, as we’ve seen plenty of times in the past, college success doesn’t necessarily always translate to the NBA. How does Johnson’s game look when it comes to moving on to the next level? Let’s take a look.

Strengths

Simply put, Johnson is a freak athletically whose leaping ability will translate at the NBA level. Johnson was a state champion high jumper in high school, and it’s clear that training has rubbed off on his hoops game.

That’s a 6-foot-9 dude taking off from outside of the circle and getting so high above the rim that he can literally just throw the ball through the hoop. That’s not uncommon for Johnson. His dunks just look different than other players’ due to the energetic way he finishes with authority as well as his tremendous explosiveness vertically. It’s a small thing, but it shows what you’re dealing with here in terms of his leaping ability. Johnson plays hard, attacks the ball, and utilizes his athletic gifts well.

For such a powerfully explosive athlete though, there’s another part worth pointing out. Johnson possesses superb body control and hang-time. He can provide strength if he needs to, but can also gracefully maneuver himself in the air in order to gain an advantage on his opponent. He’s also a quick jumper, who doesn’t take much time in the way of gathering, meaning he also has a quick second jump. He moves well in transition and over larger distances due to long strides, and he’ll be a weapon in the open floor.

In terms of his game, the biggest thing Johnson brought to the table in college was his voracious rebounding. Johnson was the top defensive rebounder in the ACC this season, grabbing 28.5 percent of available defensive boards himself while on the floor. He does this by combining that explosiveness vertically with terrific instincts for how the ball is going to come off of the rim and meeting it at its highest point. It’s also worth noting that despite questions about his body, Johnson does a good job of establishing position for himself with his lower body strength, both when finding a route to rebound offensively and in the post. Rebounding does tend to translate well to the NBA, meaning this should absolutely be considered a strength even if there are caveats I’ll mention in the next section.

Beyond rebounding, Johnson has great touch around the basket. Simply, Johnson is one of the best finishers in college basketball once he gets the ball near the hoop even if he doesn’t do much to create his own looks. He put up a 64.8 true-shooting percentage this season, good for the top 25 among all players in college basketball, while also being a high volume player who took the fifth-most 2-point field goal attempts in the country and the ninth-most free throws in the ACC.

Plenty of those made baskets came via the dunking variety, but he also showed off a relatively solid right-handed …

continue reading in source www.cbssports.com