Stanley Johnson went to Arizona with an open mind, now he's in the Sweet 16
Stanley Johnson is about as goal-oriented a player as you will find. During his prep career at Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), he often spoke of and then achieved lofty goals.
He wanted to be a part of an undefeated team by the time his high school career was over. He then went out and led Mater to a 35-0 season as a senior.
He wanted to win a national championship. At season's end, the Monarchs were crowned national champions by various publications.
The Arizona freshman forward left Mater Dei as the winningest player in California high school basketball history. Johnson won four state championships. No other California prep can make that claim.
Johnson was a McDonald's All-American, a Jordan Brand Classic All-American and entered Tucson with lofty expectations.
He wasn't the first highly decorated basketball player to come out of the prestigious Southern California high school, and he won't be the last.
However, Mater Dei players haven't had the most glamorous reputation when it comes to transitioning to the next level.
Spoiled, entitled and impatient are just a few of the adjectives that have been tossed around to describe former Mater Dei players, many of whom haven't finish their collegiate careers at the universities at which they started.
Recent history details a lofty list. Taylor King enrolled at Duke and transferred to Villanova before concluding his career at NAIA Concordia University. Gary Franklin transferred from Cal to Baylor midway through his freshman season. Keala King started his career at Arizona State, transferred to Long Beach State, and was eventually dismissed from the team.
The Wear Twins, David and Travis, started their careers at North Carolina before transferring to UCLA. Tyler Lamb began his career at UCLA before finishing his last two seasons at Long Beach State. Katin Reinhardt played one season at UNLV and is now at USC.
In many ways, Johnson's transition to the collegiate level was going to be judged by the players who preceded him as much as it would by his own experience.
Before he stepped foot in Tucson, he set another goal -- to be open-minded.
"It's different when you get to college and you have to be able to conform to what is around you," Johnson said. "I asked to be coached.
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"When (Arizona head coach Sean Miller and I) talked and we said stuff on the court, like I really believed in what he had to say and that's what it's about. If you can do that, you can succeed anywhere."
Johnson has seen tons of success in his first season in a Wildcats uniform. The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year is also a U.S. Basketball Writers Association Freshman All-American; he won MVP at the Maui Invitational last November; and he is just one of two freshmen in power conference basketball to average at least 14 points and at least six rebounds per game. Duke's Jahlil Okafor is the other.
Miller says Johnson has made him a better coach. He says he's made his teammates better, too.
Arizona is back in the Sweet Sixteen for the third consecutive season. Miller gives credit to Johnson, who for a large part of the season, led the team in scoring and rebounding, and praised his desire to actually be coached.
"He has listened and he has tried his best to do what we've asked, and I think that's one of the reasons that our team has been so successful this year," Miller said.
All benefits of Johnson's open mind.
