BY ED DAVIS
Clarkston News Staff Writer
Ask Chris Johnston to score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds and he’ll probably shrug his shoulders and claim it’s no big deal. Ask him to get up early to make an a.m. practice and you might have a problem on your hands.
‘I don’t want to be there, not that early,? he said with a smile. ‘Those morning practices, they just shouldn’t exist.?
All kidding aside, Johnston has become the first player in coach Dan Fife’s stay at Clarkston to be an inside presence the Wolves have focused on to get the ball to. ‘He’s clever and he doesn’t force shots. If he’s double teamed, he’ll kick it out and good things happen.?
His inside play has caused trouble for nearly every opponent he’s faced and has been a big part of the reason the Wolves have enjoyed so much success this year.
But that wasn’t always the case.
Even though Johnston has played on the varsity team since his sophomore year, he hasn’t always been the main focus of the offense. It wasn’t until the summer before his senior year when Johnston realized focusing on basketball was a real priority in his life and credits teammates Robbie Clark and Brad Goodman for helping him along the way.
‘I guess I didn’t see what it (high school basketball) was all about,? Johnston said. ‘Robbie’s always looking to get the ball inside to me. We played AAU together and we’re real good friends. Goodman’s a bit more creative, but they’ve both been a big help to me.?
Better late than never.
Fife said that Johnston is still not what he would call a hard worker, but does admit his senior 6-foot-6 center is making more progress ever.
‘Had he worked as hard two summers ago as he did last summer we would’ve had coaches from all over the country coming to scout him,? Fife said. ‘If he was 210 (pounds) he’d be a D-I player. There’s no end to how good he could be. He can score in so many different ways. His maturity has come a long way. He’s a pretty simple kid. With Chris, what you see is what you get.?
What you won’t see with Johnston is a lot of dunks. He claimed to have only three this season, even though he’s had the opportunity for several more. However, he didn’t waste any time getting his first one of the year, which coincidentally came in what he claims was his best game of the season, Clarkston’s opening season win at Flint Carman-Ainsworth.
‘It was a hostile environment, and with the first game there’s always a lot of pressure,? Johnston said. ‘I don’t usually woo people, but that was just a consistent four quarters for me. I took a few charges and had a breakaway dunk. But I don’t look to dunk. It’s just two points.?
Even though Johnston has lived in Clarkston since the third grade, he really never had seriously considered basketball until his eighth grade year. He claimed he didn’t even know of the Fife family until then.
Since then, the two have come to respect each other and their relationship appears to be stronger than ever, even to the point where they agree on the music they listen to together on the way to games, usually 70’s music.
‘We’ve come to understand each other,? Fife said. ‘He’s a good kid. Quiet and shy, but he’s got a tremendous love for the game and his teammates and he’s a very unselfish player.?
Next year Johnston will be attending Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee where he plans on studying something in the health field while trying to work on his dribbling and shooting, along with continuing to add weight. He would like to add 25 pounds. However, he will be the first to admit, with a laugh, that his habits when not on the court aren’t the most healthy.
‘Donuts. Maple donuts,? he said with a smile. ‘Those and Playstation2 NCAA Football. Those two things and I’m all set.?