Thursday, March 28, 2024

Guard glad to play in hometown

Junior guard Rashi Johnson scrambles for a loose ball with Northwestern forward Winston Blake at Breslin Center on Feb. 15. The Spartans beat the Wildcats 64-51. —

From living in downtown Chicago to being sidelined by a stress fracture earlier this season, Rashi Johnson's road to playing Big Ten basketball has been rough.

While playing street ball at the age of 12, he was shot in the leg. He spent time in pain and on crutches before returning to the court.

Later in his adolescence, he began spending more time on the street before eventually dropping out of school.

Street life was disheartening to Johnson as he saw friends and acquaintances murdered. He felt a change of heart and decided to go back to school and use his talent on the basketball floor.

"I've always loved basketball," Johnson said. "No matter what I was doing, basketball was always on my mind and it will always be."

He played a season at King High School in Chicago but was ruled ineligible the next year for being too old.

Soon after graduating, he was contacted by an assistant from Mott Community College in Flint because of his enticing talents.

In his first year at Mott, Johnson led his team to a 33-4 record before losing in the NJCAA Division II national championship game. The year after, Johnson guided Mott to the NJCAA Final Four.

His talents had put him on the radar for a few universities - one of which was MSU.

Johnson now finds himself as the only true point guard for the Spartans.

"I can't think of one time that kid has made me question taking him," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. "He has answered the bell in every way, shape and form. I'm not sure I'm prouder of a kid."

The junior point guard has played limited minutes this season as he has struggled to adjust to the Spartans' offensive system. But when he is on the floor, the offense has a quicker pace.

"I understand my role," Johnson said. "I go out there and do what I'm asked. My job is to bring energy off the bench and get my teammates involved."

In 19 games this year, playing an average of 9.2 minutes per contest, Johnson has 23 assists compared to 22 points. He almost has more assists than total shots taken (30).

"He brings so much energy when he comes on to the floor - there is never a time he slacks off and he's always helping out others," senior forward Aloysius Anagonye said. "Even when he's on the bench, he encourages me, telling me stuff like, 'Al, that wasn't a foul, don't worry about it' and he does that with everyone. I just love Rashi."

Johnson has played both the coaching roll and given the Spartans their only true point guard despite spending six weeks on the bench recovering from a stress fracture in mid-December.

"Coach and I feel, if it wasn't for those six weeks, I would've been at this form at mid-season," Johnson said. "But, it just put me behind and now I'm catching up."

The next destination for Johnson to elevate his game is in his hometown of Chicago - the site for this year's Big Ten Tournament.

He said he thinks of the journey as just another stop to display his talent, but one with more of a special feeling.

"It's been a great ride for me," he said. "I've seen a lot of great things - great stadiums, great arenas. I've traveled a lot and its been really fun.

"But I'm really excited to go back to Chicago."

He probably won't find himself in the starting lineup, but Johnson knows being back in the Chicago will garner part of the spotlight.

"I have lots of family going and ..." Johnson said with a sigh. "I'm low on tickets. Some of them are going to have to wait until Saturday."

Johnson didn't say he would put on a Michael Jordan-like show, but he is assuring his family and everyone else they won't be able to question his heart.

"Every time I play, even in practice, I give everything I've got," he said. "I play for my family, I play for me team, I play for coach, and I play for myself."

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