JaJuan Johnson
Encyclopedia
JaJuan Markeis Johnson is an American professional basketball
player with the Boston Celtics
of the National Basketball Association
. He played collegiate basketball at Purdue University
. During his sophomore
season, he was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a junior, he was named a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a senior, the Consensus-All American was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, as well as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Johnson attended Franklin Central High School
in Indianapolis, Indiana
, where he played for head coach, Mark James. Tall for his age, Johnson played on the B-team in the 7th and 8th grade. He finished his Senior year averaging 20.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game for the Flashes. Johnson was named to the Indiana All-Star Team with future National Basketball Association
players, Eric Gordon
and Jeff Teague
.
committed to Purdue University
to play under head coach Matt Painter
as part of a top five recruiting class, along with Robbie Hummel
, E'Twaun Moore
and Scott Martin. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds a game, while starting in 17 of the 34 games in which he appeared in during his Freshman season. He helped the Boilermakers to a second straight NCAA Tournament
appearance, where his best performance of the season came against Baylor
in the First Round. He had 10 point
s, 2 block
s and 8 rebound
s in 20 minutes.
. He also led the conference shooting 54 percent from the field. Johnson opened conference play with a 15 rebound effort against Illinois
on December 30, 2008. On February 3, 2009, he recorded a career high 30 points at Ohio State
and had his career 7 blocks in a game at Northwestern
on January 15, 2009. He recorded five double-doubles on the season, all coming in conference play. Johnson led Purdue to the program's first Big Ten Tournament Championship
and was named to the all-tournament team and helped lead them to a Sweet Sixteen
appearance. In the second round game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington in the last seconds, he blocked back-to-back shots to seal the win while adding 22 points and a total of 4 blocks. Finishing with a 27–10 record, he is one of four Boilermakers to share the school record for most games played in a season. He also moved amongst Joe Barry Carroll
in the Purdue records with the third most blocks in a season with 78.
,but made a verbal commitment to return for the junior year. He began his junior season as a preseason first team all-Big Ten selection by CBS Sports
. On the season, He recorded nine double-doubles, while leading Purdue to its best start in 16 years (14–0). Johnson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week in late January, averaging 22.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games (2–0). On February 9, 2010, Johnson recorded his 1,000th career point in a road game win against #10 ranked Michigan State
. Finishing with a 14–4 record in conference play, Johnson led Purdue to its first Big Ten title in fourteen years, climaxing with a road win against Penn State
, where he had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and shot 11–14 at the line. In an average of 31.3 minutes a game, Johnson averaged 15.4 points (3rd on team), 7.3 rebounds (1st), and 1 steal per game. Johnson shot 72 percent at the line, while leading the top ten ranked Purdue squad with 2 blocks a game and shooting 51 percent from the floor. Johnson was named Second-Team All-Big Ten and received consecutive Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors at the end of the regular season. With Purdue receiving a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament
, Johnson led the Boilermakers in the First Round victory against Siena
, where he had 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks, leading to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances after beating Texas A&M
in overtime. In his final game of his junior season, Johnson had team highs with 23 points, making 10 of 17 attempts, while tallying 5 rebounds and 4 blocks in a losing effort against Duke
. Johnson ended this junior season with the second most career blocks in school history with 184, after Joe Barry Carroll
's 349 from 1977 to 1980. Johnson held the third highest average in school history with 1.7 blocks per game, behind Carroll and Russell Cross
. He spent the following summer practicing with Team USA
.
, entered the 2010 NBA Draft
, but withdrew and returned to school after scouts projected him as a second-round pick. JaJuan entered his senior season as an AP
Preseason First Team-All American,. He recorded twelve double-doubles on the season and recorded a career high of 31 points against Indiana State
. On February 27, Johnson achieved career highs with 17 rebounds and 7 blocks against Michigan State
. He scored in double-figures every game, which included twenty two 20+ games. JaJuan was named a Sporting News Midseason First-Team All-American, along with the likes of Nolan Smith
, Jordan Hamilton
, Kemba Walker
, and fellow Big Ten player, Jared Sullinger
. In his senior season, JaJuan was the only player in the nation with career numbers of more than 1,900 points, 850 rebounds, and 250 blocks. On March 7, Johnson was named Big Ten Player of the Year and also Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being selected for the First Team All-Big Ten along with teammate E'Twaun Moore. He led the Big Ten in scoring and in blocks, as well as having the nation's highest scoring average for a player at the center position. With a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament
, Purdue faced St. Peter's in the First Round, where JaJuan scored 16 points and grabbed a career postseason-high 16 rebounds. In his last game as a Boilermaker, JaJuan had 25 points and 14 rebounds against Virginia Commonwealth in an 18-point loss. JaJuan averaged 20.5 points (1st on team), 8.6 rebounds (1st), 2.3 blocks (1st), 1 assist, 1 steal, and shot 49.5 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the line (1st). He led Purdue to a 26-8 record and a 2nd place finish in conference play in his last season as a Boilermaker and was named a Consensus-All American, Purdue's first since Glenn Robinson
and seventeenth overall. He also became the first Boilermaker to be given the Pete Newell Big Man Award
, an award given to the year's best big man. He was picked to the First Team All-America by Fox Sports.
, which will display his last name and jersey #25 for being named a Consensus All-American his senior season.
as the 27th Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics along with a 2014 second-round pick for the rights to MarShon Brooks
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He played collegiate basketball at Purdue University
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
. During his sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
season, he was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a junior, he was named a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a senior, the Consensus-All American was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, as well as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
High school career
Born in in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
Johnson attended Franklin Central High School
Franklin Central High School
Franklin Central High School is a four-year public high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. As of 2010, the high school's enrollment is 2,568 students in grades 9 through 12. It is the only high school under the responsibility of the Franklin Township Community School Corporation. Franklin...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, where he played for head coach, Mark James. Tall for his age, Johnson played on the B-team in the 7th and 8th grade. He finished his Senior year averaging 20.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game for the Flashes. Johnson was named to the Indiana All-Star Team with future National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
players, Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon
Eric Ambrose Gordon, Jr. , nicknamed "EJ", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior year while playing at North Central High School...
and Jeff Teague
Jeff Teague (basketball)
Jeffrey Demarco Teague is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. He was selected 19th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Hawks. Teague played college basketball for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
.
2007–08
The 6'10", 215 lb forward/centerCenter (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
committed to Purdue University
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
to play under head coach Matt Painter
Matt Painter
Matt Painter is the current head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team.-Playing career:Matt Painter attended Delta High School in Muncie and played basketball for current basketball coach and former athletic director, Stan Daugherty...
as part of a top five recruiting class, along with Robbie Hummel
Robbie Hummel
Robert John Hummel is an American college basketball player for Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana...
, E'Twaun Moore
E'Twaun Moore
E'Twaun Donte Moore is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, who is playing with Italy's Benetton Treviso during the lockout. Moore was drafted by the Celtics in the 2011 NBA Draft after playing college basketball at Purdue...
and Scott Martin. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds a game, while starting in 17 of the 34 games in which he appeared in during his Freshman season. He helped the Boilermakers to a second straight NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
appearance, where his best performance of the season came against Baylor
Baylor Bears men's basketball
The Baylor Bears basketball team represents Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Bears compete in the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games in Ferrell Center and is currently coached by Scott Drew....
in the First Round. He had 10 point
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
s, 2 block
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
s and 8 rebound
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
s in 20 minutes.
2008–09
Johnson began his sophomore year showing improvement atop of his Freshman season, gradually improving throughout the regular season. Averaging 13.4 points (second on team) and leading the conference with 2.2 blocks a game, he was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection as well as to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team along with teammate, Chris KramerChris Kramer
Christopher Scott Kramer is an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately with the Purdue University Boilermakers...
. He also led the conference shooting 54 percent from the field. Johnson opened conference play with a 15 rebound effort against Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
on December 30, 2008. On February 3, 2009, he recorded a career high 30 points at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
and had his career 7 blocks in a game at Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball
The Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference. Men's basketball was first introduced at Northwestern in 1901...
on January 15, 2009. He recorded five double-doubles on the season, all coming in conference play. Johnson led Purdue to the program's first Big Ten Tournament Championship
2009 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was played during Championship Week between March 12 and March 15, 2009 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The winner, the Purdue Boilermakers, received an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Purdue defeated Ohio State...
and was named to the all-tournament team and helped lead them to a Sweet Sixteen
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
appearance. In the second round game in the NCAA Tournament against Washington in the last seconds, he blocked back-to-back shots to seal the win while adding 22 points and a total of 4 blocks. Finishing with a 27–10 record, he is one of four Boilermakers to share the school record for most games played in a season. He also moved amongst Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA.-1974–1976:...
in the Purdue records with the third most blocks in a season with 78.
2009–10
Johnson considered entering the 2009 NBA Draft2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
,but made a verbal commitment to return for the junior year. He began his junior season as a preseason first team all-Big Ten selection by CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
. On the season, He recorded nine double-doubles, while leading Purdue to its best start in 16 years (14–0). Johnson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week in late January, averaging 22.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games (2–0). On February 9, 2010, Johnson recorded his 1,000th career point in a road game win against #10 ranked Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
. Finishing with a 14–4 record in conference play, Johnson led Purdue to its first Big Ten title in fourteen years, climaxing with a road win against Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball
The Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the Pennsylvania State University. They are a member of the Big Ten Conference and play home games at the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center, moving there from boisterous Rec Hall during the 1995–96...
, where he had 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and shot 11–14 at the line. In an average of 31.3 minutes a game, Johnson averaged 15.4 points (3rd on team), 7.3 rebounds (1st), and 1 steal per game. Johnson shot 72 percent at the line, while leading the top ten ranked Purdue squad with 2 blocks a game and shooting 51 percent from the floor. Johnson was named Second-Team All-Big Ten and received consecutive Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors at the end of the regular season. With Purdue receiving a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
, Johnson led the Boilermakers in the First Round victory against Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, where he had 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks, leading to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances after beating Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
in overtime. In his final game of his junior season, Johnson had team highs with 23 points, making 10 of 17 attempts, while tallying 5 rebounds and 4 blocks in a losing effort against Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
. Johnson ended this junior season with the second most career blocks in school history with 184, after Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA.-1974–1976:...
's 349 from 1977 to 1980. Johnson held the third highest average in school history with 1.7 blocks per game, behind Carroll and Russell Cross
Russell Cross
Russell Cross is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the NBA's Golden State Warriors in the 1st round of the 1983 NBA Draft.-1980-1983:...
. He spent the following summer practicing with Team USA
Team USA
Team USA is a wrestling faction brought together as part of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's X-Cup Tournaments, which involved a team of X Division superstars from various countries representing their nation in an international wrestling competition.-America's X-Cup:Team USA was created and led...
.
2010–11
Johnson, along with teammate E'Twaun MooreE'Twaun Moore
E'Twaun Donte Moore is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association, who is playing with Italy's Benetton Treviso during the lockout. Moore was drafted by the Celtics in the 2011 NBA Draft after playing college basketball at Purdue...
, entered the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
, but withdrew and returned to school after scouts projected him as a second-round pick. JaJuan entered his senior season as an AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Preseason First Team-All American,. He recorded twelve double-doubles on the season and recorded a career high of 31 points against Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
. On February 27, Johnson achieved career highs with 17 rebounds and 7 blocks against Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
. He scored in double-figures every game, which included twenty two 20+ games. JaJuan was named a Sporting News Midseason First-Team All-American, along with the likes of Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith
Nolan Derek Smith is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, having been selected with the 21st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after four years at Duke University. As a senior, he was named a first team AP All-American and the ACC Player of the Year...
, Jordan Hamilton
Jordan Hamilton
Jordan Christian Hamilton is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the NBA. He was a forward for the Texas Longhorns.As a sophomore he was a second team All-American by the USBWA...
, Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker
Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats. Walker grew up in The Bronx, New York and graduated from Rice High School in 2008. With the Huskies basketball team at Connecticut, Walker was the 2nd leading college basketball scorer in the United States...
, and fellow Big Ten player, Jared Sullinger
Jared Sullinger
Jared Sullinger is an American college basketball player. He is a sophomore at Ohio State and was one of the top rated basketball players in the class of 2010.-High school career:...
. In his senior season, JaJuan was the only player in the nation with career numbers of more than 1,900 points, 850 rebounds, and 250 blocks. On March 7, Johnson was named Big Ten Player of the Year and also Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being selected for the First Team All-Big Ten along with teammate E'Twaun Moore. He led the Big Ten in scoring and in blocks, as well as having the nation's highest scoring average for a player at the center position. With a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
, Purdue faced St. Peter's in the First Round, where JaJuan scored 16 points and grabbed a career postseason-high 16 rebounds. In his last game as a Boilermaker, JaJuan had 25 points and 14 rebounds against Virginia Commonwealth in an 18-point loss. JaJuan averaged 20.5 points (1st on team), 8.6 rebounds (1st), 2.3 blocks (1st), 1 assist, 1 steal, and shot 49.5 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the line (1st). He led Purdue to a 26-8 record and a 2nd place finish in conference play in his last season as a Boilermaker and was named a Consensus-All American, Purdue's first since Glenn Robinson
Glenn Robinson
Glenn A. "Big Dog" Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He last played during the 2004–05 season.-Early life:...
and seventeenth overall. He also became the first Boilermaker to be given the Pete Newell Big Man Award
Pete Newell Big Man Award
The Pete Newell Big Man Award has been awarded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches since 2000. It is presented to the top low-post player each season. The award is named after Pete Newell, the legendary coach who ran the famed Pete Newell Big Man Camp for low-post players from 1976...
, an award given to the year's best big man. He was picked to the First Team All-America by Fox Sports.
Career notes
JaJuan finished his career at Purdue as the seventh highest scorer in school history (1,919), averaging 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2 blocks, .7 assists, and .7 steals. He shares school records with games in a season (37), total games (140), and games won (107). He finished 2nd in school history in career blocks with 263, as well as tallying 854 rebounds. On November 29, 2011, JaJuan will appear in dedication of the eleventh number-banner to be displayed at Mackey ArenaMackey Arena
Mackey Arena is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Part of the Purdue University campus, it is home to the university's basketball teams, and occasionally hosts home games for the volleyball and wrestling teams...
, which will display his last name and jersey #25 for being named a Consensus All-American his senior season.
2011
JaJuan Johnson was drafted by the New Jersey NetsNew Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
as the 27th Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics along with a 2014 second-round pick for the rights to MarShon Brooks
Marshon Brooks
Marshon Brooks is an American professional basketball shooting guard with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 25th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.-Early years:...
.