DerMarr Johnson's file
	Class: Freshman Height: 6-9 Weight: 200 lbs. Position: Shooting guard Hometown: Washington, D.C. 1998-99 statistics:   26.1 points   6.3 rebounds   3.9 assists   54 percent FG   42 percent 3-pt. FG

Many other top programs abandoned the recruitment of Johnson fearing he would not qualify and also because he did not exert himself to the fullest extent when attending the 1998 ABCD Camp. Johnson's disappointing week there saw him fall from a near-unanimous No. 1 ranking among analysts to the mid-teens on many surveys.

Johnson has an abundance of skills, from ball-handling to passing to shooting. He redeemed himself with a strong year at MCI; hard-nosed coach Max Good could not have said more nice things about how Johnson played and conducted himself while competing for the school. At the end of the year, he was voted the Parade Player of the Year.

Just how far Johnson had come back was evident in the McDonald's All-America game, in which he put on a second-half 3-point shooting show that had to tantalize Cincinnati coaches, who were close at that point but had not signed him. He also was impressive in the Magic Johnson Roundball Classic. He showed not only the ability to shoot deep but also to get into the lane and shoot mid-range jumpers, as well as to post up and score on a variety of moves.

This will be a most helpful skill at UC, because he is going to be a shooting guard. Many of the players who defend him will be 6-2 or 6-3. Even more important, though, is that Johnson prevents defenses from hanging back and clogging the lane. He has to make perimeter shots. Johnson has the talent, and he is in a perfect situation to shine.

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