‘Preparation meets opportunity’: How Xavier Johnson established himself as an NBA prospect

Armed with a strong work ethic and world-class ability, Xavier Johnson knew that he just needed an opportunity to prove himself as one of the top point guards in the country.

He got that chance and ran with it this past season.

Johnson, a former three-star prospect, played the first three years of his college career at George Mason. He posted averages of 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, three assists and 1.1 steals in 81 games, including 50 starts, with the Patriots.

Sensing a change was needed, Johnson transferred to Southern Illinois in April 2022 to play for coach Bryan Mullins. His brother, Brendan Mullins, had recruited Johnson out of high school in Maryland, and the transfer had formed a strong connection with the two.

Johnson averaged seven points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals on 42.7% shooting from 3-point range in his first season at Southern Illinois. He earned a place on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive team, along with teammate Lance Jones.

After averaging no more than 7.7 points per game in a single season prior to that point, his head coach challenged him to step up with leading scorers Marcus Domask and Jones transferring to other programs. He accepted it and exploded as a fifth-year senior.

Johnson was voted the MVC Most Improved Player after averaging 22.2 points, 6.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 36.8% shooting from 3-point range. He was the only player in the country to average at least 22 points and six assists this past season.

“He probably took as big of a jump as anyone I’ve coached just in terms of the maturity that he showed over the two years and learning the position and understanding what it takes,” Bryan Mullins told Rookie Wire. “He put a ton of work in before he got to us, as well. It just doesn’t happen overnight or over a year or two, so there was a built up process of all the work he put in at George Mason and in high school and with his dad.”

Johnson became the workhorse for the Salukis, averaging 36.7 minutes per game, which ranked 15th among all Division I players. He started every game he played in for the first time in his career and was ninth in usage percentage (33.4).

The 6-foot-1 guard responded by registering six 30-point games, which topped all players in the conference. He finished the season ranked fifth in the country in scoring, seventh in free throws (219) and 18th in offensive win shares (4.2).

He credited Mullins and his staff for his success.

Johnson led the NCAA in scoring at one point and flirted with a 50-40-90 campaign early in the season. He produced one of his 30-point efforts on Dec. 5 in a win over Oklahoma State, in which he went 13-of-15 from the free-throw line.

“He played with a lot of freedom,” said his father, Kelvin, who is the special assistant to Johnny Dawkins at UCF. “When I see a guy that plays with a lot of freedom, that means the coach trusts him a lot with the ball in his hands. He had the ball a lot in his hands and they depended on him offensively, which was great to see. He was able to get to his bag a little bit but still kept it simple and got his teammates involved.”

Johnson has made Central Florida home over the predraft process. In addition to his father coaching at UCF, his brother, Darius, is fresh off his best season in college and will be entering his fourth year with the Knights, who just completed their first campaign in the Big 12.

He also has a strong connection with Dawkins.

The former Player of the Year and two-time All-American at Duke played against Kelvin in high school and has been friends with him for a number of years. He is Xavier’s godfather and another basketball mind who has helped him throughout the predraft process.

“It is a great relationship,” Xavier said of Dawkins. “I get to talk to him here and there throughout this process, and kind of gain some of his knowledge and insight and get a little more knowledge as far as the process and kind of what goes into it and how I can be better and make sure I can stand out.”

Said Kelvin: “(Xavier) gets the opportunity to lean on (Dawkins) during the offseason. Even when coach doesn’t get a chance to watch his games, he is always watching his stats to see what he is doing, you know? He’ll come up to me and say, ‘X is doing really well,’ and so forth. He can’t watch everybody but he does watch the stats.”

Dawkins guided UCF to the first round of the NIT after posting a 17-16 record in their first season in the Big 12. (Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports)

Johnson has continued his momentum into the predraft process. He was among the top 64 seniors who competed in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and was named MVP of the championship game after scoring 14 points and six rebounds.

The 24-year-old showed off his overall skill set and ability in the annual event in front of executives and scouts. He can score from all three levels and is crafty getting into the paint. He uses his strength well to draw contact and get to the line.

Johnson projects to provide teams with a two-way threat as a point guard at the next level. He showed at Southern Illinois that he can be one of the top players on both ends of the court who can score and get others involved while defending at a high level.

“His ability to shoot the ball off the bounce is really what separates him from a lot of college guards because he can make 3s off the dribble and pull up off the dribble,” Mullins said. “He got better as a shooter every single year in college and that doesn’t just happen. That is a lot of hours by yourself in the gym.”

Johnson completed the predraft circuit by working out with eight teams, including the Orlando Magic. He made it a point of emphasis to showcase his defense and shooting ability to teams, while also proving himself as a leader who can run a team.

He has been surrounded by a great support system, from Coach Mullins to his father to Coach Dawkins, and is grateful for the wealth of knowledge afforded to him.

Johnson is ready to tackle whatever is thrown at him.

“From a young kid until this point, I’ve always been surrounded by the game of basketball,” Johnson said. “I have a lot of knowledge around it, and I’ve continued to learn more. My dad pushes me to the next level and having that work ethic instilled in me has been great up to this point. I think he did a great job preparing me.”

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire