Arizona’s Nick Johnson ‘not sure’ about future
Apr 12, 2014, 12:00 AM | Updated: 1:18 am
Arizona’s Nick Johnson has one year left of eligibility and a decision to make.
If he remains in school, the Wildcats would most likely be a preseason favorite heading into next year.
If he declares for the draft, Johnson would join the majority of his fellow Wooden Award finalists in moving to the NBA.
In Los Angeles for the Wooden Award Gala Friday, Johnson doesn’t know what is next for his playing career.
“I’m not sure yet,” Johnson told Mark Willard of ESPN LA 710 AM. “The season just ended a few weeks ago. I’m still trying to get over that. I’m talking to my family, my support system and coach Miller. He’s been through it a few times with some guys and I’m just talking to him and trying to get the right information.”
Johnson was asked how the Elite Eight loss to Wisconsin will affect his decision.
“It’s tough,” Johnson said. “You have to sit down with a group of people that you trust and weigh the options.
“It was kind of incomplete. We felt like we had the chance to make a title run.”
According to NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com, Johnson is predicted to be a second-round draft pick in the June 26 draft.
Even though a decision hasn’t been made yet, Johnson is trying to steer away from the speculation and focus solely on his craft.
“I’ll get a call or text from a friend or family member who follows mock drafts,” Johnson said. “After last year, I just decided not to even pay a lot of attention to it.
“I’ve been told I had to raise my field goal percentage, my three-point percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio, and I’ve done all of that and I’ve made tremendous strides in that category. I’ve taken better shots and as far as my turnover percentage, when people criticize me saying I’m not a pure point guard, my turnover percentage is just as good as the pure point guards they are comparing me to. I know my numbers, so when I get critiqued and criticized, it has to make sense, because if not, I can just blow smoke back in their face.”
