2/24/2022 basketball Edit

Xavier Johnson is key to a late season run for Hoosiers

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Indiana's point guard position has been a struggle for much of the last five seasons and this season is no different despite adding Pitt transfer Xavier Johnson. The three-year ACC starter has been up-and-down this year but is still the most important piece to the puzzle for the struggling Hoosiers.

The current five-game losing skid for Indiana comes at a time of season when you would typically like to see your team moving in the right direction and playing its best basketball of the year.

Through the good and the bad times this season, most moments have come from Johnson.

“X (Xavier) is down on himself right now, and a lot of guys on our team are," IU forward Trayce Jackson-Davis said. "So I’m just going to keep trying to pick them up because I’ve already been through this situation, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help us win.”

In 25 games this season, Johnson is averaging 10.5 points, 4.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting just 38.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three. His turnovers, however, are down to a career-best 2.6 per game -- by one less than his career average per game at Pitt.

When Indiana received the commitment from Johnson this offseason, people knew the playmaking ability that came with the 6-foot-3 point guard. He led the ACC in assist percentage in two of his three seasons (2018-19, 2020-21). He also ranked top six in the ACC in assists per game in all three years at Pitt. But, he led the ACC in turnovers for two straight seasons (2018-19, 2019-20). That type of rollercoaster ride has continued this year.

During a four game stretch in January where the Hoosiers went 3-1, including a win over No. 4 Purdue, Johnson averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He was also shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three (6-of-14). The most impressive number was his 1.8 turnovers per game. Over that span, his 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio was ranked top-5 in the NCAA.

"I think X is starting to slow down and see things ahead of him,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said of Johnson during that span. “He is making guys a little bit better around him, which is kind of nice to see because I’ve always thought point guards, that’s their job and what they are supposed to do.”

But, it's been the five games since that have been the opposite -- all five resulting in losses. After a second-half collapse at home against Illinois, Johnson was one of five players suspended for the Hoosiers' road loss against Northwestern.

In the last four games, Johnson is averaging 10.5 points, 3.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. While those numbers are around his average, it's the 4.3 turnovers per game and 28.3 percent field goal percentage that is alarming.

“He's going to be okay. A few rough games doesn’t define him," Jackson-Davis said. "He had a few rough games earlier this season and then he bounced back and was playing the best ball that he’s played with us.

“We just got to stay on him and stay in his head and talk good thoughts because, especially right now with all the negative energy surrounding our program, we can’t have guys fracturing especially inside."

In wins this season, Johnson averages 11.1 points and just 2.3 turnovers per game. In losses, he has averaged 9.5 points and 3.3 turnovers per game. His shooting percentage also dips from 44.1 percent to 30.7 percent from wins to losses.

“We’re all we got and we’re going to keep telling him to just do things such as shoot the ball and make plays because we need that from him,” Jackson-Davis added.

Indiana goes as Johnson goes and with just three regular season games left, it will need every bit of the good from him in order to make a run and feel confident at making the field for the NCAA Tournament.

"We've got a group of people on our team that have never actually succeeded and actually done anything so it's like learning how to win," Jackson-Davis said. "Playing for something, playing to get into the tournament... having that pressure is hard... at the end of the day, players play and coaches coach so we have to get it done on the floor."