UNC Basketball 2021-22 Player Preview: Donovan ‘Puff’ Johnson
Our 2021-22 UNC basketball player preview series continues with sophomore wing Donovan ‘Puff’ Johnson.
D’Marco Dunn | Dontrez Styles | Creighton Lebo
Even though the UNC basketball program has a new leader in first-year head coach Hubert Davis, the 2021-22 roster features a handful of returning players. Davis, who is no stranger to the program, will have plenty of returning talent to mix with promising newcomers in hopes of finding success in the upcoming season.
One of Davis’ returning players is Donovan ‘Puff’ Johnson. After an up-and-down freshman season, can Johnson prove to the Tar Heels coaching staff that he’ll be an impact player for the 2021-22 Tar Heels?
Season in Review 2020-21
Across the country, college athletics programs were greatly impacted by COVID-19. For basketball programs like North Carolina, players did not get the full summer experience — going through workouts and conditioning while having the opportunity to not only interact but also play against some very notable Tar Heel alumni in pickup games.
North Carolina had six freshman join the program last season, and all of them missed out on that important learning curve prior to real games tipping off. Johnson was one of said freshman, and you can make the case that he was hurt by it more than any of his teammates.
Leading up to the team’s season opener, Johnson was forced to miss two weeks of action due to COVID-19 protocols. This not only hurt him experience-wise, but stripped him of an opportunity to earn playing time in Roy Williams’ regular rotation.
Once he returned, Johnson did not see much playing time, as he averaged just over four minutes per contest. Known for his above-average shooting ability, the Moon Township, Pennsylvania native hit six of his 14 shots, but made just one of his nine three-point field goal attempts.
Johnson essentially missed the second half of the season, as he was sidelined for the team’s final 15 games due to a right toe sprain. From the onset, Johnson’s freshman year didn’t go as anticipated.
What to Expect in 2021-22
It appears as if Johnson hit the weight room this offseason.
After registering at 190 pounds as a freshman, the Tar Heel wing was recently measured at 205 pounds, a 15-pound increase. Based on video and images posted on social media, the weight gain seems to be mostly muscle, which is necessary for players of Johnson’s nature who do tend to drive to the basket and aren’t afraid to rebound the basketball.
One of the main reasons why the Tar Heels recruited Johnson was his ability to score the basketball (yes, it runs in the family!). We didn’t get to see it last year, but there’s a good chance we will get to see Johnson’s scoring ability in the upcoming season.
With the returning talent as well as the incoming group of players, Davis and staff have a ton of ways that they can try to spread the floor. This should open up plenty of opportunities for players like Johnson to get some open looks, something that was hard to come by over the last few seasons.
Don’t expect Johnson to start games, but if he proves he can shoot the ball at a high level, expect Davis to find ways to use him throughout ball games. With his skillset, Johnson could most certainly challenge for playing time at the wing position, and possibly even see some minutes at guard or power forward based on the personnel on the floor.
Bold Prediction
It’s not bold to say that his minutes should increase, given that the summer workouts and experience from last season should benefit him. However, it is bold to say that Johnson will work his way into a steady contributor for the Tar Heels.
Johnson has the potential to see anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes per game, and he could ultimately end up as one of the team’s top shooters this season. Johnson still needs some time to develop as a player, but as the season goes on, his role should expand for the Tar Heels.
Next. Caleb Love reveals why he came back to UNC. dark
Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding the UNC basketball program.