Jordan "Papi" Johnson - Class of 2018

[kwc]

Son of ex-Tiger Mingo Johnson among talented local 2018 PGs

Posted: June 17, 2016
By Jason Smith of The Commercial Appeal

Central High rising junior guard Jordan "Papi" Johnson's father swears his son is a better 3-point shooter than he was at the same point in his career. That's saying an awful lot when you're Mingo Johnson, one of the best long-range shooters to put on a University of Memphis uniform.

"At this stage, I'd say he's just a better overall player than I was. But he doesn't have my intensity. He needs my intensity and my D," said Mingo, who averaged 13.6 points as a senior at Memphis in 1995-96 and still ranks among the Tigers' all-time leaders in career 3-point field-goal percentage (fourth at 38.1).

At 5-foot-11, Jordan, a Class AAA All-Metro selection as a sophomore at Central last season, is still 2 or 3 inches shorter than his father. But his shooting skill and cool demeanor as a floor general have him among a standout group of Memphis-area point guard prospects in the Class of 2018 that includes East's Alex Lomax, Cordova's Tyler Harris and Southwind's Mark Freeman.

Jordan, who plays for Team Penny on the AAU circuit, said he's drawn interest from Ole Miss, where former Tigers guard Tony Madlock is an assistant coach. And, yes, he's thought of perhaps following in his father's footsteps and playing for the Tigers if new coach Tubby Smith comes calling. But for now he's focused on getting stronger and becoming a better leader.

"To be honest, I just want to go to a college where I know I'll fit in, and Memphis is one of those teams that I would be happy to play for," Jordan said.

Sherwood Middle coach Chris Adams, a former point guard at Melrose, has trained Jordan since "the fourth or fifth grade" and coached him in middle school.

"He's come a long way. He's really mature and he's got a high basketball IQ. He knows the game," said Adams. "He averaged 17 points as a sophomore (at Central) and 11 as a freshman (at Overton)."

Added Mingo: "He scores well without the ball. He's a good distributor and he sees the floor well. But what I need more from him is being more of a floor leader. One thing is he takes criticism well because he wants to get better. He's a gym rat. He's really focused on his craft."

Edited July 21, 2016 by kwc

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