What USC basketball’s Meechie Johnson said about his future
The price of success is a much more arduous decision.
South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson, one of the biggest reasons the Gamecocks are 24-5 and withing striking distance of the SEC regular-season crown, has a decision to make at the end of the season.
Will he return to Columbia for his fifth collegiate season — as granted by the extra COVID year — or will he leave USC and head off to the NBA Draft?
“I’ve just been focusing on the moment, just staying in the moment,” Johnson said Wednesday. “Tomorrow, that’ll be my last time playing on the court here with (seniors Ta’Lon Cooper and B.J. Mack), and I’m just focusing on that moment right now.”
Johnson, who transferred from Ohio State to South Carolina ahead of the 2022 season, flirted with the NBA after last season.
The 6-foot-2, 184-pound guard from Cleveland declared for the 2023 draft while maintaining his eligibility, which allowed him to get feedback from NBA scouts about his draft profile and where he needs to improve.
This season, Johnson has taken the next step. An all-around player for coach Lamont Paris, Johnson is the Gamecocks’ leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and was recently named the SEC Player of the Week after scoring 22 vs. Texas A&M and 25 against Florida.
“It’s easy to see those contributions,” Paris said of Johnson, “but he’s had plenty of other (great games). ... He’s able to make an impact in a lot of different ways and he’s clearly an explosive guy.”
At the moment, Johnson does not appear in the two-round NBA mock drafts on ESPN, Bleacher Report or many other websites. But an impressive showing in the NCAA Tournament could give him a bump.
The Gamecocks are nearly a lock to be a part March Madness for the first time since 2017 and could improve their seeding on Wednesday night with a victory over No. 4 Tennessee at Colonial Life Arena. With a win, the Gamecocks would sit atop the SEC standings.
“We know what’s on the line,” Johnson said. “How many teams are in this position in the whole country? It just shows the team we have and the mindset we have.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 5:31 PM.
