Shawnson Johnson enrolls at UNT

[LoveMG]

Johnson enrolls at North Texas

LSU transfer looks impressive at Mean Green practice

01/22/2003

By Tim MacMahon / Staff Writer

Center/power forward Shawnson Johnson enrolled at North Texas on Tuesday morning, officially completing his transfer from Louisiana State.

Shawnson Johnson

The 6-9, 242-pound Johnson’s performance during Tuesday afternoon’s practice showed why UNT coach Johnny Jones is willing to take a risk on a player who quit the LSU team at halftime of a Dec. 3 game and has only one season of eligibility remaining.

Johnson, who will not become eligible until the end of the fall 2003 semester, was dominant during his first practice at UNT. He scored almost at will, mostly on dunks and moves around the basket. He blocked several shots, some in spectacular fashion. And he ran the floor and passed the ball like a guard.

"I never got a chance to do some of those kind of things at LSU," Johnson said. "Now I’m at a place where I feel comfortable."

Added Jones: "As soon as he becomes eligible, he will have an immediate impact on our program. Just judging from the things he was able to do in practice today, he’ll bring some things that we don’t have on a consistent basis in terms of an aggressive shot blocker and powerful low-post scorer."

Johnson, who was considered one of the 10 best junior-college players in the nation by recruiting analysts when he signed with LSU in the spring of 2001, sat out his first season in Baton Rogue because of academic issues. He played three games for the Tigers this season — averaging 5.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 17.7 minutes per game — before quitting the team because of a lack of playing time.

Johnson left the team after not playing in the first half of a win over Delaware State on Dec. 3.

"By the time I got there, he had changed clothes," LSU coach John Brady said in the Dec. 5 edition of the The Advocate in Baton Rogue, La. "All we did was tell him, ‘You’re making the wrong choice, and this isn’t the way to handle your problems.’ He knew when he left."

Said Johnson of his departure from LSU: "The past is behind me now. Things happen for a reason. Maybe it was the best thing to do. Coach Brady was a good coach, but we just weren’t on the same page."

Jones, a point guard at LSU from 1980-84 and assistant coach there from 1984-97, said he would not have asked Johnson to join the Mean Green if he thought the player would present disciplinary problems.

"After speaking with him and some people that are close with him and people that I confide in in Baton Rogue, I’m not overly concerned about that," Jones said. "Obviously, I would have like for that situation to be handled better. He was leaving the team, and it’s just unfortunate the way that he left. He’s apologized for that and admitted that he was wrong. Now he’s moved on."

Johnson said he is just happy to be at a school where he will get consistent playing time. He added that he hopes to help put the North Texas basketball program on the map and draw attention from NBA scouts in the process.

"This is my last go-round," Johnson said. "I’ve got to make the best of it."

[Zeke]

If we get him he isn't eligible till completing Fall 2003 then won't we get him for the 2nd half of his junior year and all of his senior year?

[UNTLifer]

The way I read it in the DMN this morning, I understood that he only had one semester of eligibility left.

[GrayEagle]

It was my understanding that after sitting out a year that he would have a year of eligibility left.

To me that means that he is not eligible until the second semester (Jan. 2004) but would also be elibigle for the fall semester of that year. Even if that is true, I don't know how JJ would feel about using a player that could not go to the end of the year with the team.

[ScreamingEaglesFan]

I e-mailed a very good source regarding SJ eligibility and their response was

"Shawnson Johnson will become eligible at the end of the fall 2003 semester and play the remainder of the season. That's it for him."

[Brent]

Well, even though we will only see him on court for a semester, we do know that in practice and workouts he could/should really improve the team.

[EagleMBA]

I wonder if he becomes eligible as soon as the fall semester is done (i.e., December 13-19 or thereabouts) or if he has to wait to participate until the second semester starts. In the first case, we might have him for 20 games or so.