2022 Prospect: Elijah Johnson

Eric Brill

February 27, 2020 @ 01:17 PM

<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-johnson-2/">[player_tooltip player_id="929624" first="Elijah" last="Johnson"]</a> | 5’9" G | Shorecrest High School By the Numbers 19.3 points per game 8 assist per game 3 rebounds per game Top Performance: 15 points, 16 assists, 8 rebounds against Cleveland High School Beyond the Numbers <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-johnson-2/">[player_tooltip player_id="929624" first="Elijah" last="Johnson"]</a> is among the most explosive young guards I’ve seen this season. His combination of agility and strength allows him to be an impact player on defense, and he puts tremendous pressure on opposing defenses because of his ball-handling skills and his ability to get to the rim and make passes in traffic. When asked about his role models, Elijah cites an impressive lineage of point guards. "Damian Lillard and Allen Iverson are who I model my game after [as well as] Ja Morant." From what I’ve seen, he’s well on his way to embodying the skills of his heroes. In his game, you can see glimpses of Iverson’s underdog mentality, Lillard’s IQ, and Morant’s flash. In his own words, "My greatest strengths are my ability to score at will, court vision, and making the right play at the right time." Despite his youth, Elijah has helped to lead his team near the top of their district, and although Shorecrest recently lost in their district championship game, they will enter regionals as the 11th seed with a great opportunity to advance to the state tournament. Johnson has the right mindset to excel when the stakes are highest. "I feel like whenever I’m on the court, I’m the best player, and I’m going for the kill: mamba mentality. I also play for my grandpa resting up in heaven, so I play in his honor and make him proud." If Shorecrest is able to make it through their regional matchup with Central Kitsap, Elijah will have accomplished his first in a list of goals. "I’d like to play in the Tacoma Dome at state, get D1 offers, and have an option on free school," but although he is driven to reach his own personal goals, he is also a team player who wants to put his school on the map. Among the players I’ve interacted with this season, Elijah stands out for being prideful without being arrogant. He can be dangerous in 1-on-1 situations, but he understands that he can have an even bigger impact as one piece of his team unit. Shorecrest is a team with a combination of senior experience and young talent, and they have a tough road ahead of them if they’re going to make a deep run in the state tournament, but I expect Elijah to make an impression on crowds regardless of when his season comes to an end.