We’ve seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a “Getting to Know” series on some players who have attended events but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, and today’s edition will take a closer look at Ayden Johnson of Piedmont Classical
We’ve seen Johnson in multiple settings, including our most recent Phenom 150 Camp, where we stated, “Moving onto a player that easily stood out among the most electric campers in attendance, Ayden Johnson. He’s a smart, crafty point guard prospect with phenomenal quickness and a strong balance between scoring and playmaking. Johnson utilizes his quickness and sharp creation skills to effortlessly breakdown opponents and get wherever he wants on the floor. He scores the ball with efficiency from all levels, but is arguably even better when running a team and working to get others involved. Next in his development process is working to get stronger, as it will only help improve his defensive presence. Coach Baldwin on Johnson: “Ayden has been the lead guard all day. He’s an excellent teammate with a positive attitude. He listens and takes instruction very well. He has pretty solid range and ability to score at all three levels. Ayden is able to penetrate and get in the lane, collapse defense, and find open shooters. His quickness and shiftiness work great for his game. If he can continue to get stronger and defend at a high level, he has a shot.” Johnson was clearly a top performer, securing the Mr. Hustle award with relative ease, and will be a prospect to monitor going forward.”
Although he’s small, there should be plenty of appeal with Johnson to emerge as a reliable floor general at the high school level. For what it’s worth, Johnson has always possessed an innate feel for the game—and it’s evident in the way he approaches running the team. He’s a crafty, heady playmaker who displays a useful balance between scoring and playmaking. Although Johnson can certainly apply scoring pressure from all levels, he’s arguably at his best when looking to create and set up others. He’s a capable defender with sharp instincts when playing the passing lanes, which allows him to force turnovers and make his presence felt in transition. Johnson can breakdown his assignment with relative ease, but can also operate without the ball as needed. It’ll be interesting to watch Johnson’s continued development, as his excitement could bring a lot to the North Carolina scene.