During an outstanding freshman season, U basketball player Britton Johnsen seemed destined to be selected in the NBA Draft after finishing his career at the U. Yet an unexpected turn has now placed Johnsen in a position where he may not even be drafted.
Coming out of Murray High School, Johnsen was a McDonald’s All-American and he made an immediate impact for the Utes.
Although he did not get many minutes during the season, the Utes counted on him to provide a spark during the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
He scored a season-high eight points against Arkansas in the second round and seven points in the championship game against Kentucky.
After the Utes reached the Final Four in 1998, Johnsen decided to go on an LDS mission. Once the mission’s two years were up, many believe he did not return with the same intensity.
Johnsen’s talent is unquestioned, and he is working with a 6-foot-10 inch, 217-pound frame.
His foot speed is solid and he has good passing ability, but his scoring average dropped his senior season, where he was the clear-cut leader of the team. Johnsen averaged 11.6 points per game his final year, yet that could not all be blamed on lack of intensity, considering the double teams that flew at him when he touched the ball.
But he did not excel in other areas, as he did his junior year, when he was named MWC Player of the Year.
For NBA scouts, his age and his weight, along with the lack of intensity, may be too much to overcome for him to be selected in the upcoming draft.
Johnsen is now 24 years old and scouts are worried that he may have peaked talent-wise and team execs may not want to risk spending a pick on him.
Not only is he older, but his 217 pound frame will not cut it in the NBA, and a strenuous weight program will have to be in order. However, by the time he reaches a respectable weight, he might be too old to develop.
So far, Johnsen has worked out with the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers.
At this point, the former Ute hopes he gets drafted in the second round, but if he does not, playing in Europe may be the best course of action.
Even though he has fallen far from the expectations once placed on him, Johnsen still continues to bank on a career in basketball, regardless of where he plays.