Thursday, March 30, 2000
Johnson's outlook as NBA player unclear
Scout: Another college season would help
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
He has wanted to be an NBA player so badly for so long, DerMarr Johnson had it tatooed onto one biceps. And now, he is on his way.
Johnson, a freshman shooting guard at UC last season, on Wednesday announced his intention to turn professional. Johnson will not return to UC for spring classes. Instead, he is expected to travel to California to train for the June 28 draft.
“This was a really hard decision, because the people at Cincinnati have been so good to me,” Johnson said. “In talking things over with my family, I realized this was something I needed to do for them.
“Playing in the NBA is something I've wanted to do for the last three years. My year at Cincinnati has prepared me to take this step.”
Johnson will have to write a letter to the NBA office asking that his name be placed on the league's early entry list.
Johnson becomes the second high-profile UC recruit to turn pro after one season in the last decade. Dontonio Wingfield left after one season in 1994 and was a second-round pick of the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Draft. He was waived by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1998 and has not played professional basketball since.
Johnson has not yet signed with an agent, but is expected to become a client of Los Angeles-based Dan Fegan, whose client list includes Seattle SuperSonics forward Ruben Patterson, a former Bearcats star. UC coach Bob Huggins made it clear he does not expect Johnson to leave open the possibility of withdrawing from the draft and returning to UC, as Kentucky center Jamaal Magloire did last year.
Huggins said it is impossible to determine where Johnson will land in the draft order. The lottery has not yet been held to determine the order in which teams will draft, and the list of players who will file for early entry has only begun.
Johnson is one of five players to declare for the draft thus far. The others: St. John's guard Erick Barkley, Minnesota center Joel Przybilla and junior college stars Corey Hightower and Ernest Brown of Indian Hills (Iowa) C.C.
But Maryland's Terence Morris announced Wednesday he will return for his senior season; previously, Duke forward Shane Battier and LSU's Stromile Swift also said they would be back for another year.
Bret Bearup, a former Kentucky player whose ProTrust firm handles financial matters for numerous athletes, said he expects Johnson will be drafted anywhere from seventh to 13th.
“The year at Cincinnati helped him. He got stronger, he learned how to play defense. He played well enough to elevate his stock in the eyes of some scouts,” Bearup said. “He played a year for Bob Huggins, who instilled a certain toughness it was perceived he did not have.
“I think there's no question had he stayed another year, he would have been in a better position. His game would have improved. That's not to say it won't improve in the NBA, but it certainly worked for Kenyon Martin to stay.”
Through the course of his season at UC, Johnson improved immensely as a defender. In December, he was destroyed by Xavier's Darnell Williams, who scored 16 points in the first half of the Musketeers' upset win. By February, he was holding Louisville's Marques Maybin to nine points and 3-of-10 shooting.
Johnson became better at fending off screens and using his height to his advantage. He had 11 of his 29 blocks in the final six games and averaged 7.0 rebounds in the Bearcats' two NCAA Tournament games.
However, scouts noticed that when Martin broke his leg in the Conference USA tournament, Johnson was unable to produce despite free reign to attempt open shots. He was 2-of-9 and scored six points in the NCAA Tournament loss to Tulsa.
Mel Daniels, who scouted several Bearcats games for the Indiana Pacers, said Johnson has NBA-level talent but would have improved his circumstance by playing another year at UC.
“He doesn't shoot with the type of confidence he needs, but he can shoot from the perimeter,” Daniels said. “On occasion, he has beaten people off the dribble. I hope, for his sake, he is making the right decision.
“I don't know about his background. It would have been nice if he'd stayed in school for another year or two to gain experience and add a couple pounds. He needs to work hard. I would have probably elected to stay, to develop on the shortcomings and improve on the body. He is talented.”
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