Midway through the UTRGV Men’s Basketball season, junior guard and forward Justin Johnson has become an important player on the team by scoring points, playing defense and stepping up as a leader.
Transferring from the University of Southern Mississippi last April, Johnson averages the team’s best 17.1 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Head coach Matt Figger told The Rider that the team has had to depend on Johnson quite a bit this season.
“From a scoring standpoint, from a defensive standpoint, from a rebounding standpoint, he’s, you know, one of the leaders in every category,” Figger said. “So, without him our ability to compete would be at a very disadvantage.”
Johnson’s ability to guard different positions and score has drawn a lot of attention from opposing teams. Despite the extra guarding, he still finds ways to produce.
“He’s been dependable,” Figger said. “He’s been a rock. I mean, he’s not missed any time. He’s played minutes. He sucks up injuries. … Good players find a way to play through pain and that’s what he’s been able to do, and he’s been one of the few solid guys that just each and every day comes out.”
Johnson said it has been a good season, with some bumpy games and setbacks, but he continues to push through them.
“Having a coach that just believes in you, it really helps you,” Johnson said. “And, you know, I can continue to be better.”
The confidence Figger has in the Florida native started before this season, when he was the Austin Peay State University head coach from 2017 to 2021. Trying to recruit him to Austin Peay, Figger said he saw a player who could play multiple positions and who he believed was the missing piece for his former team.
The head coach said he is fortunate that Johnson came to UTRGV and believes he can achieve the best version of himself here.
Initially, Johnson was supposed to go to Austin Peay, but said everything worked out for a reason.
“It definitely feels good knowing that we have been talking for probably like two or three years now,” he said. “So just having a coach that believes in you and knowing what your ability is, and, you know, just trusting in you. That’s a really good feeling.”
Upon arriving at UTRGV, Johnson said he was confident he was going to have a successful year based on “coach Fig’s” plan for him.
Johnson said some of the skills that the coaching staff has helped him improve on are his shooting, getting shots off the dribble and reading screens.
Figger said Johnson’s work ethic has also improved since joining UTRGV. He said the player is now a better teammate and leader on the court.
“Becoming an everyday guy, coach Fig is really big on that,” Johnson said. “Coming in and working hard … whether you’re banged up [or not] … just coming in, getting better every day, being coachable, being a leader, being a good teammate. That’s most important because … a locker room that has leaders is going to be a good team, and we just got to stay together and just keep growing as a team.”
His main goal this season is to qualify for the Western Athletic Conference tournament in Las Vegas this March.
“This team can grow,” Johnson said. “ We’re doing all the right things, really. Everybody’s starting to come together. So, I feel like that’s a big goal for us.”
The Vaqueros’ next game is at 7 p.m. Thursday at Utah Valley University, where Johnson is expected to shine.
“When the game is hard, I put trust in him to give us a chance to win,” Figger said.
Omar E. Zapata/The Rider Photos
Diana Alvarez-Tovar/The Rider Photos
Omar E. Zapata/The Rider Photos
Diana Alvarez-Tovar/The Rider Photos
