Aaron Johnson didn’t feel rushed.
The 6-foot-2 Columbus High School senior also knew he wasn’t in a race with teammate RJ DeLoach to see who could make a college decision faster.
Still, Johnson was encouraged that DeLoach didn’t need much time to pick a college. In fact, DeLoach decided he was going to be a Bulldog on the Friday he and Johnson visited Holmes Community College in Goodman.
It didn’t take Johnson long to make the same decision.
After thinking about Holmes C.C.’s recent success and making sure his grandmother, Annie Sharp, who lives in Texas, was OK with his decision, Johnson opted to join DeLoach at Holmes C.C.
Johnson, DeLoach, Casey Smith (Jones County Junior College), and Denijay Harris (Southwest Mississippi C.C.) finalized their decisions Friday morning in a signing ceremony in the Columbus High gym.
Johnson, DeLoach, Smith, and Harris will join classmate Robert Woodard II, who will play basketball at Mississippi State, at the next level.
All five were key contributors in Columbus’ run to the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A State championship. The championship was the second in three years for Columbus, which finished 27-6 under Anthony Carlyle, who was in his first season as head coach at the school.
Johnson averaged 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals for the Falcons. He announced his arrival to the state of Mississippi in the team’s second game of the season when he hit two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to help Columbus rally from a 14-point deficit to beat Starkville 64-62 in November.
Johnson, who is Casey Smith’s cousin, transferred from Rowlett High in Texas, which is 20 miles northeast from Dallas, to Columbus in the offseason. He had six double-figure scoring games, including a season-high 18 points in a 72-19 victory against West Lowndes on Feb. 9.
Johnson credited Carlyle for identifying all of the roles for the players and pushing the Falcons to realize their potential.
Johnson said he will report to Holmes C.C. at the end of June in an effort to help the Bulldogs win another championship. This past season, Holmes C.C. (24-5) won the Region 23 championship and was the District XV representative at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. Holmes C.C. lost in the first round in its second appearance in the event in four seasons. In 2015, Holmes C.C. advanced to the Elite Eight.
“I feel like they will push me so I can be the best me there is,” Johnson said. “That’s what I want.”
Johnson hopes his versatility fits in well with the Bulldogs. He said he was willing to do whatever Carlyle wanted to help the Falcons realize their goal of winning a title.
Johnson said Smith told everyone he was going to be on the basketball team, which helped ease his transition to a new school. As a result, everyone welcomed him and made him feel part of a family right from the beginning.
“Nothing felt new on the first day of school,” Johnson said.
On the basketball court, Johnson said Carlyle let the players know what role they needed to play each game. He said he didn’t mind doing a little bit of everything after being the seventh man at Rowlett High as a junior.
“When coach Carlyle told me what he needed me to do here, I was like, ‘I got you, coach. I can do anything you want me to,’ ” Johnson said.
Johnson hopes to build on his experience at Holmes C.C. to play basketball at a four-year school. He said the coaches at Homes C.C. envision him playing on the wing and using his length — he has a 6-8 wingspan — to create defensive nightmares.
“They said they have seen me play defense and that’s what they needed,” Johnson said. “Coach had me deny most of the star players this year, so I feel like whatever they need me to do, I am there for it.”
Carlyle said Johnson has the potential to realize that goal, too, just like he did in helping the Falcons realize theirs.
“All of them grew into their roles throughout the year and took the next steps in their games to be college ready by the end of the year,” said Carlyle, who guided Velma Jackson to four state championships in five seasons before taking the Columbus job last summer. “That is a part of having a great team. Everybody can’t be a scorer. You need guys who are willing to do some other things.
“I think on each night when we needed a charge or a rebound or a three or a defensive stop, he just found a way to always be around the ball and be able to be in position to make plays. I think it helped him get an opportunity to go to college because he is able to do multiple things.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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