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UNC Basketball: Puff Johnson Cleared To Practice

By Aaron Conrad

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 04: Puff Johnson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles the against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 04: Puff Johnson #14 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles the against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball Head Coach Hubert Davis said junior forward Puff Johnson has been cleared to practice and could return soon.

The UNC basketball program could have one of its key contributors back on the court in the near future.

On Monday, Hubert Davis announced that forward Puff Johnson has been cleared to practice with the team. The Tar Heels have played their first two games of the season without the junior, who is expected to be a major contributor in a reserve role once he returns.

There might not be a more interesting player on the UNC basketball program’s roster than Johnson. Fair or unfair, many fans likely expected him to step in and play just like his older brother and former Tar Heel Cameron Johnson. However, Johnson’s time in Chapel Hill thus far has been impacted by injuries, as he’s missed some significant time on the court.

Johnson’s freshman campaign was interrupted on a few occasions by Covid protocols and a sprained toe that kept him out of the final 15 games of the season.

Entering the 2021-2022 season, the belief was that he would take that next step forward and be healthy to contribute. Johnson missed the first 15 games due to a hip flexor and sprained right ankle. This impacted Johnson’s ability to step in and make that leap everyone expected at first.

But then, the 2022 NCAA tournament happened.

When the Tar Heels needed a spark in their unbelievable tournament run, it was Johnson that stepped up and delivered on both ends of the floor. His length, rebounding, and hustle gave the starters a few minutes here or there. His three-point shooting spread the floor. Who can forget that he played so hard in the championship game that he became physically ill on the court.

Now he is ready to begin practicing once again with the 2022-2023 team. We look for Johnson to have a major impact this season. It will take some time, but Coach Davis has the luxury of giving Johnson the preparation time he needs to properly ramp up to get going.

We hope to see Puff on the court sometime near the end of the month when the Tar Heels travel to Portland.

dark. Next. UNC Basketball: Bench Provides Much Needed Spark

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