Heading into the season, there are several talented guards around the nation that are earning high praise early on. That can also be said in the ACC, as Duke guard Tre Jones and North Carolina's Cole Anthony are just two well-known names heading into the season.
However, another guard should be up there as well on the national level.
Guard Markell Johnson, a 6'1, 175-pound prospect at NC State, should be a name added to that list as one of the top guards in the country as the senior looks to showcase his full arsenal this upcoming season.
Johnson has continued to develop his overall game since coming into school, the same class as NBA lottery pick and one-and-done Dennis Smith. Last year though, he demonstrated takeover potential in games, which gave him an opportunity to test the waters in last year's NBA Draft. Now, Johnson returns for his fourth year (third year as a starter) and has shown that he has the tools to be a strong prospect once again in this year's upcoming NBA Draft.
Each season, Johnson has improved his numbers and now comes off a year in which he averaged 12.6 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.6 rebounds for the Wolfpack. Furthermore, that also takes into account the early struggles he faced.
In his first 24 games, Johnson had bright moments for the Wolfpack, including three 20-point games. Averaging just over nine points a game to begin, Johnson's game clicked over and was on full display with his minutes increasing as well as production. In his final nine games, Johnson became a go-to threat with his speed, athleticism, and knock-down capabilities, averaging over 17 points per game to end the season.
He really started to come into his own in Keatts' offense, being a legit threat on all three levels from the floor, including shooting 42.2 percent from three last year (compared to 25.0 percent as a freshman).
The senior guard has the ability to do it all scoring-wise. He was incredibly efficient as a spot-up shooter, moved really well in transition/halfcourt and found openings in pick and roll situations. Johnson has continued to improve his tempo and pace but turnovers still were a factor last year (2.2 turnovers per game), an area where he has potential growth.
Now, Johnson will look to put it all together and become one, if not the, go-to scorer and playmaker for the Wolfpack this year at point guard. Now is his time to shine in a bigger light for college basketball.
He has all the tools and capabilities to not only be a star guard in the ACC but enter his name as being one of the top, veteran guards in the country.