This past weekend, Phenom Hoops traveled down to Spartanburg, South Carolina our first live period of the travel ball season. Between the competition and slew of prospects, it made for a pretty exciting weekend. Like normal, college coaches came through the various sites to watch players and see who will be the next to emerge as a potential target. Although most of their attention was focused on the oldest age group, there were still plenty of guys worth noting playing in 16U and 15U. We will take a closer look at some individuals who stood out, look at Julian Johnson.
After watching his growth over the recent years, it's easy to see Johnson's steady progression as an overall prospect. He's a long, fluid big man with a reliable, fairly well-rounded identity for his size/position. Johnson has the necessary touch to finish through contact, above the rim, or with either hand out of the post. He lurks well for putbacks and understands how to capitalize when receiving drop-offs in the dunker spot. Johnson can also pass or knock down the occasional perimeter jumper if necessary. Defensively, he contains his assignment well, alters shots on a consistent basis, and rebounds the ball at a healthy rate. He runs the floor well in transition and shows a solid willingness to make hustle plays as a big man. There's still plenty of upside remaining, but one can clearly see how much he's already improved over the recent years.
It should be common knowledge that big men typically develop at a slower pace than most players, which is yet another reason folks should be eyeing Johnson over the foreseeable future. He's beginning to assert himself as a double-double threat with blossoming instincts as a rim-protector and useful tools as a scorer. Between his time with Lake Norman Charter and Upward Stars Carolinas, expect him to warrant a lot of attention going forward.
