After losing the first two games of the season to Oak Hill Academy and Mountain Mission, Providence Day has been on a roll. They have won nine straight games and are now being mentioned nationally as one of the better teams in the country. Providence Day has a nice blend of youth and season veterans and 6’8 senior Isaac Johnson continues to be an important piece of the puzzle for head coach Brian Fields.
In our preseason open gym report, Phenom’s Jamie Shaw stated, “Isaac Johnson could be Providence Day’s X factor. He has the natural physical dimensions. He is long and wiry. He won the state championship in the high jump and the hurdles as a sophomore.”
For Johnson, he doesn’t have to score to make his presence known. Currently, he is averaging 8.5 PPG, 6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and has 1.3 BPG. He is shooting 57% from the floor. He has offers from Hampton, Winthrop, and St. Francis and is getting interest from Campbell and UNC-G. He is fully qualified and sports a solid 2.8 GPA at one of the top private academic institutions in the state.
Sporting a physically mature frame, Johnson plays at a smooth and fluid pace. He excels in transition and is the ultimate rebound collector round the rim. While his stat line is modest, it is some of the intangibles that come into play for Johnson. First of all, he is an excellent defender in the low post area. He treats each and every possession as an individual battle and provides length and quick leaping ability as a serviceable rim protector.
More importantly, Johnson is still learning the game and his skill set is still catching up to his athleticism and body. He has tremendous upside and potential and don’t be surprised that he becomes a better collegiate player than high school player.