Desperate for a point guard after Ryan Harrow's departure left his team without one on next season's roster, new North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried is taking a one-year flyer on a little-known Cal State Bakersfield senior.
Alex Johnson, a 5-foot-10 point guard who averaged 13.3 points per game last season, will leave Cal State Bakersfield to join NC State. Because Johnson graduated this spring but still has one year of basketball eligibility remaining, he should be eligible to play immediately at North Carolina State next season if he chooses a graduate program that Cal State Bakersfield does not offer.
According to the Bakersfield Californian, Johnson chose NC State over ACC rival Florida State because he recognized he'd have the opportunity to make an immediate impact in his lone season. Johnson's former AAU coach, Ro Russell, facilitated the arrangement, sending NC State the point guard's highlight reel including footage of him scoring 26 points on Colorado in January.
The imminent arrival of Johnson is a good fit for NC State after Harrow's transfer sent the Wolfpack scrambling for a point guard too late in the spring signing period for Gottfried to realistically find one the conventional way.
First of all, it alleviates some of the pressure on combo guard Lorenzo Brown to handle the ball on every possession. Secondly, it spares Gottfried from having to commit a four-year scholarship to a lightly regarded high school prospect just to ensure the Wolfpack have a backup option at point guard next season.
Johnson shot 34.6 percent from 3-point range and dished out 2.4 assists per game last season for Cal State Bakersfield, though his paltry 36.5 shooting percentage from the field is definitely a concern.
Maybe he'll flourish in a situation where he doesn't need to be a primary scorer. Regardless, it's worth the risk.
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