AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 04
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Fayette star’s skills showed at 17 months
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whether it was a father’s wishful thinking or true prophecy, Lynbert “Cheese” Johnson swears he knew his young son would be an accomplished basketball player.
But here’s the thing: Noel Johnson was 17 months old.
“I know it sounds crazy, but if you could have seen him, it was amazing,” dad said. “It was with a rubber ball, and he was shooting on one of those mini-courts, but it was there.”
Dad’s instinct has been confirmed in a way that has exceeded even his anticipation. While at Lovejoy last season, Noel Johnson was one of the top freshmen in the state. This season at Fayette County, Johnson is among the top sophomores in the country.
At 6 feet 7, Johnson’s multi-dimensional skills have attracted the interest of many of the top college coaches. Although he still has two years of high school left, Johnson said he already has developed a top five list of prospects: Georgia Tech, Memphis, UConn, LSU and Florida.
In many ways, it was almost impossible for Johnson to not become a slice off the block of Cheese. His dad was a star player at Wichita State who played half a season with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA and professionally in Europe.
A New York native with an engaging personality, Cheese Johnson has lots of friends who are accomplished in basketball, and nearly all of them have been a part of “Cheddar” Johnson’s development.
His godfather is Xavier McDaniel, the outstanding former NBA star who played with passion and fearlessness. McDaniel teaches post-up maneuvers. Nate Archibald, the dynamic point guard who once led the NBA in scoring and assists in the same season, works with Johnson on ball-handling and court awareness.
Mike Glenn, the solid shooting former Hawks player, who is as smart and socially conscious as anyone, counsels the kid on marksmanship and citizenship. And Charlie Scott, the first black player to sign an athletic scholarship at North Carolina in 1966, tutors on scoring.
“They have all helped me all around,” Noel Johnson said. “My dad has a lot of NBA friends and they give me tips that I use day-by-day to get better.”
Johnson, a “B” student, transferred to Fayette County when the family moved because of the academic challenge, his dad said. “It’s got to be about preparing him for college,” Cheese Johnson said. Noel got to Fayette County and found that coach Andre Flynn’s up-tempo style suits him beautifully, as his averages of 21 points, seven rebounds and four steals attest.
Johnson plays three positions — point guard, shooting guard and small forward — and has free reign within Flynn’s system to display his vast skills.
“And there’s so much support from the school and community,” Noel Johnson said. “It’s been a good move for me.”
But the next three weeks will not be as good. Johnson severely sprained an ankle this week and could be sidelined for as many as 21 days.
“It’s frustrating because I want to be out there helping my team,” he said.
“It’s eating him up,” his dad said. “He was born here, but he’s a New York kid, in that we always go up there and play ball. He likes playing in the park as much as he likes playing in real games. He just loves basketball.
“I could see that when he was so young. He always enjoyed the game. Now, it’s serving him well.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Curtis Bunn
