Johnson stood a few feet from the basket shooting with one hand for a few minutes. Then he stepped back a couple feet and shot with his guide hand up but not touching the ball. Then he stepped back a couple more feet and shot with both hands.
“He’s working on boring, monotonous, repetition stuff that is necessary to separate yourself from everybody else,” Molz said. “That’s what makes him better than most.”
Johnson does this every day before practice and every time he goes to the gym on his own. After he’s completed this repertoire of form shooting, then, and only then, does he begin to move around the floor and shoot mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers and deep 3-pointers.
“A lot of kids put a lot of time in, but he does it the right way,” Molz said. “It’s quantity but it’s also quality in the way he approaches his individual workouts.”
Not coincidentally, Johnson is the hottest shooter around. In leading the Firebirds to a 5-0 start, he is shooting 59.4% overall, 63.3% (19 of 30) from 3-point range and is averaging 23.5 points a game. In Tuesday’s come-from-behind 55-45 win over rival Alter, Johnson scored 31 points and made 9 of 13 shots, including 5 of 8 from the 3-point line. And he grabbed 13 rebounds, which 6-foot point guards aren’t supposed to do.
“It was something that I’ve been wanting for a while,” said Johnson, who was 0-3 against Alter. “I was just tired of that feeling of losing against a rival like Alter. I definitely believed that we were good enough to beat Alter. I’m just glad that we were able to execute and finally get it done.”
The confidence that his team could beat Alter, even after trailing by 10 at halftime and by 14 early in the second half, comes from the confidence Johnson has in himself. The success this season fuels that, but his belief that every shot is going in was galvanized in his offseason workouts.
Johnson works with local skills trainer Xander Smart. Those workouts include group work with former Wayne stars Travis and D’Mitrik Trice, both of whom played in the Big Ten and now play professionally overseas.
“Being around them elevated me to think a different way – just a lot more confident,” Johnson said. “They definitely inspire and the definitely encourage me just to be my best and play with confidence. I definitely look up to them because they did stuff that I want to do.”
At the top of Johnson’s to-do list is to find a place to play college basketball. Division III and NAIA schools have shown interest based on his past performances. But Molz says Johnson’s ceiling is higher based on his improvement and ability to continue to develop.
“I really think he can play Division I,” Molz said. “I really do think he would be a steal for somebody. I think he can play at Wright State, I think he can play at Ohio U, and definitely Division II. The way he can score the ball, how quick he is and he’s a great rebounder.”
For now though, Johnson plans to focus on keeping his team at or near the top of the GWOC and being ready for a tournament run.
“The offers will handle itself,” said Johnson, who also will consider the prep school route for a year if necessary. College opportunities are still below normal levels because of COVID and the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted last year as a result.
Johnson’s scoring isn’t the only reason the Firebirds are succeeding. Fellow senior Dasan Doucet, a 6-4 forward, has been attacking the basket better this year, says Molz, and is averaging 15.2 points a game.
And it’s the leadership of Johnson, Doucet and fellow captain and senior Braden Hicks that Molz says has made a difference. During summer workouts Molz often put the captains in charge. He wanted his typically non-vocal leaders to have a voice on the team and bring the team closer together.
“Coach tells us a better team is a player-led team,” Johnson said. “And I think it’s important to have that bond between the captains and everyone else.”
Three-point leaders
Boys
(minimum 15 attempts)
Anthony Johnson, Fairmont, 19-30, 63.3%
Sam Reynolds, Sidney, 13-22, 59.1%
Antoine Jacobs, Northridge, 8-15, 53.3%
RJ Mukes, Wayne, 9-18, 50%
Dayjuan Anderson, Ponitz, 19-40, 47.5%
Evan Dickey, CJ, 7-15, 46.7%
Josh Mitchell, Waynesville, 12-26, 46.2%
Andrew Riddle, Legacy Christian, 18-39, 46.2%
Juan Cranford Jr., Wayne, 10-22, 45.5%
Adam Duvall, Beavercreek, 10-22, 45.5%
Jaden Brown, Springboro, 9-20, 45%
Bradyn Gibbs, Valley View, 9-20, 45%
Girls
(minimum 20 attempts)
Addison Frymoyer, Miamisburg, 27-53, 50.9%
Alayna Meyer, Bellbrook, 10-22, 45.5%
Alley Haas, Miamisburg, 17-39, 43.6%
Ashley Williams, West Carrollton, 20-46, 43.5%
Bryn Martin, Springboro, 9-21, 42.9%
Haley Crozier, Springboro, 17-41, 41.5%
Claire Henson, Valley View, 12-29, 41.4%
Anna Grim, Centerville, 11-27, 40.7%
Mallory Hullinger, Fairmont, 16-40, 40%
Jillian McIntosh, Carlisle, 14-35, 40%
Sarah Ochs, Carroll, 16-40, 40%
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