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Johnson enjoying the ride with LSU
Chris Johnson playing for LSU in the NCAA Tournament
Date published: 3/23/2006
By ADAM HIMMELSBACH Chris Johnson has loved every minute of Louisiana State University's run to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. The former standout at Colonial Beach and Washington & Lee high schools has loved the travel and the games and the exposure. Now the freshman forward is soaking in everything he can, so if the Tigers return to the tournament next season, he can play a bigger role in their run. "It's been a learning experience," Johnson said last night via telephone from Atlanta, where the fourth-seeded Tigers will face top-seeded Duke in a regional semifinal tonight. "Mostly everything is in the future for me right now. I'm trying to get bigger and I'm pretty much in the weight room every day." Johnson has played in 10 games this season, and is averaging 1.3 points and 0.7 rebounds per contest. If LSU wins tonight, it would face the winner of the other Atlanta Regional semifinal between Texas and West Virginia on Saturday, with the victor earning a trip to the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. No Fredericksburg-area player has ever been a part of a men's Final Four team. "We've got to get past Duke first," Johnson said. "We have to play smart, play good defense and contain [Blue Devils guard] J.J. Redick." Johnson says he's developed by practicing against LSU stars like Glen Davis and Darrel Mitchell. He's also watched them closely during games, picking up tips here and there. "Those kinds of guys are just leaders," Johnson said. "They just come across as guys who can take over a game, and I'm learning from them." Just as when he was in high school, Johnson's main issue is his lack of heft. The 6-foot-10, 190-pounder says he's put on 9 pounds of muscle since the start of the season, and plans to continue to add weight in the coming offseason. For now, though, Johnson is content to enjoy the Tigers' run through the tournament. He just hopes it lasts about two more weeks. "It's been great," Johnson said. "It's my first time being here and we've had a lot of good times." Five games into the 2003 season, Johnson transferred from Washington & Lee High School to Notre Dame Academy. Things didn't work out at the Middleburg prep school, though, and at the end of the year Johnson transferred to Colonial Beach. He played in the Drifters' first-semester games, but had exhausted his eligibility and missed the team's second-semester DAC games. That summer Johnson impressed college coaches at the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. Johnson gave LSU an oral commitment in August and signed a letter of intent three months later. Johnson graduated from Colonial Beach in 2004, but spent last school year in a post-graduate program at Laurinburg (N.C.) Academy. To reach ADAM HIMMELSBACH:
Date published: 3/23/2006
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