South Carolina seeing growth, comfortability from Meechie Johnson
It’s human nature when trying to prove something to someone, to maybe get a little out of sorts and overextended over the course of a season. In Lamont Paris’s eyes, that happened in some ways with South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson.
Johnson–an Ohio native who started his career at Ohio State–came to South Carolina via the portal. And he had some growing pains over the course of his first season.
Part of that came from trying to maybe do a little too much in his first season as a full-time starter.
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“A lot of guys find themselves in this situation. You have a guy that comes in and he’s trying to prove that (Ohio State head coach) Chris Holtmann got it wrong,” Paris said. “Chris is a really good coach. But when you come from one school to another school and it didn’t go the way you wanted it to, your natural instinct is to do that. You’re constantly trying to prove something.”
That resulted in a somewhat up-and-down, inefficient season for Johnson.
Johnson averaged a solid 12.7 points per game. But did it on just 36.1 percent shooting and just 32.7 percent from three. Despite his point totals, his offensive rating was just 100.4.
With an older Johnson–surrounded by an older, deeper roster–that mentality has changed and Paris has noticed it.
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“He’s been fantastic in the preseason and summer so far,” Paris said. “The growth has been just so obvious in a lot of ways in his personality. He’s just so much more comfortable.”
Some of that is comfortability in the system, sure, entering year two under Paris and his staff. Johnson will also play more of the shooting guard role this year with a veteran point guard on the roster now in Ta’Lon Cooper.
But a lot stems too from his comfortability around campus and in a not-so-new environment now at South Carolina.
South Carolina hopes that comfortability off the court translates to an even better Johnson on it.
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“Growth. I think that would be a huge part of it. Growth in some basketball ways and more importantly in some non-basketball ways,” Paris said. “The more he continues to grow and be more comfortable with himself in some non-basketball ways it shows up on the court for him.”
The Gamecocks are going to rely on Johnson to be a scorer for this year’s team. He’arguably the most athletic guard on the roster and someone who at his best can space the floor, attack and hit shots.
If he does, South Carolina can take another step. And Paris is seeing that early in practice.
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“I think he’s out of that mode of trying to prove something, in particular to me and our staff,” Paris said. “He’s just trying to flourish. It’s happening. He’s growing as a player and individual.”
