Johnson's growth helps steady Arizona for run in NCAA tournament

Published Mar. 18, 2015 4:19 p.m. ET

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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Moments of indecision and trouble with time-and-circumstance still occur, but despite what the Arizona media guide states, Stanley Johnson no longer is a freshman.

After 34 games, many of which Johnson greatly impacted, he's more like a cagey veteran with the wherewithal to know what a good move is and what isn't.

Game lessons don't always come easy, even for gifted athletes.

Johnson said his first college season -- and perhaps his last? -- was a "long journey." He hopes the journey continues beyond the NCAA tournament's first round, in which No. 2 seed Arizona faces Texas Southern on Thursday in Portland, Ore.

ARIZONA vs. TEXAS SOUTHERN

When: 11:10 a.m. Thursday
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Ore.
TV: TNT

How they got here: Arizona won the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles for the automatic bid. The Wildcats have won 11 consecutive games and 17 of 18.
Texas Southern earned an automatic bid by beating Southern in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament. Texas Southern is on an 11-game win streak and is 21-4 since starting the season 1-8.

Scouting report: Arizona clearly is the most athletic team in the West Region and can score and defend. Texas Southern has two strong guards in Madarious Gibbs and Chris Thomas, a one-time Arizona recruit. Arizona should be able to reach 80 points with ease, and keep the Tigers in the 50s. But the Tigers are used to playing big-time teams, having knocked off Michigan State and Kansas State this season.

"I just hope to keep learning because it's all a learning process," Johnson said.

But last week he added that he's "having fun in a child's game." It helps that he's playing at an above-his-age level.

"One of the hardest things with us in college coaching is dealing with an elite young player in our program," Wildcats coach Sean Miller said. "They are not necessarily being judged who they really are age-wise or experience-wise. They are almost judged as if they (were former Arizona great) Sean Elliott in his last year at Arizona, because that's who they are really representing in the game. With that, you have to remind yourself that Stanley Johnson is just 19 years old.

"And at that age we all grow a lot and mature. That's what he's done."

Miller will take the 31 wins and the Pac-12 Conference regular-season and tournament titles. But he's also proud of how Johnson, this sensation in sneakers, "evolved in terms of buying into what we do -- off the court and on the court."

Johnson eventually took Miller's "honor the process" motto quite well, and has the statistics to prove it. He averages 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. This week the United States Basketball Writers named him a freshman All-American.

Even for a McDonald's All-American, Johnson has come a long way. He's improved on defense, become a better teammate and is "working harder than he ever has," Miller said.

"It's fun to watch that. It's fun to see him grow. He deserves the credit for that. We've coached him hard. And he's benefited a lot from that."

Last week, as Arizona was marching through Las Vegas for its first Pac-12 tournament title in 13 years, Johnson reminded everyone, "I asked to be coached."

"That's as simple as it is," he said. "(Miller) is never going to come at you for personal reasons. It's all for the betterment of you and the team. We respect what he has to say ... I know he's trying to make me a better player."

STARTING 5 COMPARISON

Each of his teammates helped in the process, but none more than senior T.J. McConnell, who barks out orders on the court and off. Johnson said he and McConnell have a special relationship.

"He's a leader," Johnson said. "I'm young and was at the beginning of the season. He's talked to me and he's helped me speed up the learning (and has helped) become a team player, one better than what I was."

Reason enough why many so-called experts believe Arizona has a good chance of reaching its first Final Four since 2001, with a legitimate shot of beating perennial favorite Kentucky in Indianapolis. It'll take more than Johnson, of course, but Arizona has enough talent -- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski and T.J. McConnell -- to help the Wildcats get there.

"We wouldn't be here without Stanley," McConnell said. "I thought it was tough chemistry-wise (early in the year). (But) we've done a complete (turnaround). Our chemistry is just as good, if not better than it was last year."

The melding process always takes time, as does the growing-up process. And in the case of Arizona, it took a village.

"If I'm not doing something right, they shouldn't be afraid to come at me to tell me what I'm not doing right," Johnson said, "regardless of what happens. I didn't expect college to be easy. There's a long ways to go. But I've had a lot of fun so far."

He added: "I never took it personally as if these guys didn't like me. I want to be coached and I want to learn. For me to get mad or to get upset would be bad. (McConnell) can fuss at me. I know he wants to win. It's his last year. I want to win. The older guys here have to lead and the younger guys have to follow."

Now, he'd like to do what Derrick Williams did four years ago as a freshman, help contribute to a deep run in the tournament.

"What he did for the team in terms of making big shots was big," Johnson said. "He was so versatile. He did a great job of leading the team to an Elite Eight. I think this team can win the national championship."

The journey begins against Texas Southern, followed by another potential five games if Arizona is fortunate enough and good enough to keep winning.

"Every game is more building for me," he said. "Experience stems growth. Being in games like this (last week) makes you more comfortable in more games like this. And the more comfortable I am, the better I will play. And the better the team will be."

Follow Steve Rivera on Twitter

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