QUESTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR: What is the next step for PG Markell Johnson?

Markell Johnson made a gigantic leap in both mentality and statistical production from his freshman year to his sophomore season.

He came to NC State as an athletic PG with elite quicks who could score it. In season one, he got to work behind Dennis Smith Jr and see what a high-end scoring PG looks like. He saw Smith put up gaudy numbers, but he also saw the team fall to 4-14 in the ACC.

Kevin Keatts challenged Markell from day one. Not to be the second coming of Dennis Smith Jr, but instead to be a leader and a teammate. He challenged him to learn the PG position. How to control pace and dictate flow. As the season unfolded, Johnson cut down on his shots and found his role as a distributor. He went on a record-breaking run, dishing out double-digit assists in 5 straight games for the Wolfpack. He finished the season at a very respectable 9 points and 7 assists per game.

Johnson was getting into the lane, drawing the defense and finding the open man. But teams adjusted late in ACC play. Suddenly they were giving Johnson open looks. His passing had become so dangerous that they began to not help off so much and to go under the pick and roll. They started to dare him to shoot.

For whatever reason, Markell was reluctant to fire it up. He hesitated and deferred to his teammates more down the stretch. Now, there were times when he focused on scoring the ball, and when he did, he was successful. Johnson played 756 minutes this season and only attempted 176 shots. That is far an away the lowest of the starters (Beverly was next lowest with 248). This is despite the fact that he shot a very good 46% from the floor (best amongst NC State guards) and shot 41% from 3pt range (2nd best amongst NC State guards – Sam Hunt led the team at 42%).

Markell is not just a capable scorer, he’s a talented one. He’s also got great vision and is an elite distributor. This kid can make plays all over the basketball court. He’s showcased his talents this season, but this is just the beginning.

The challenge for Johnson in the offseason is to learn how to put these pieces together. How to be a dangerous scorer and an elite distributor all at once. He will need to be a more situational PG and be more in tune with game flow. Understanding those aspects of the basketball game will allow him to figure out what his team needs and when they need it.

The good news is that the Pack will be stacked at guard next season. Beverly returns, they add Blake Harris, and they still have Lavar Batts. This will give Johnson some rest. The Pack’s lack of experienced guards hurt them this season. Johnson being forced to play so many minutes certainly took away from what he was capable of doing. He was constantly guarding the quickest guy on the court and then asked to be the main ball handler on the offensive end. With Keatts system asking for full-court pressure at all times, this is almost impossible for a kid, even as conditioned as Markell, to operate at 100% on both ends of the floor.

If Johnson can continue to shore up his leadership skills and take this offseason to build up both his body and his scorer’s mentality, then NC State will have an all-ACC caliber PG to open 2018-19.