Mount Vernon has a great season last year with Michael being a starting guard in the backcourt alongside Quinn Swanson Quinn Swanson 6'2" | SG Mt. Vernon | 2024 State WA . With Quinn graduating, the ball will be in MJ’s hands even more. He controls the pace of the game well and has solid explosiveness when driving to the hoop or running the court in transition.

Michael is the other side to the backcourt for the Bulldogs. Johnson is able to play with or without the ball in his hands and is effective either way. He finds his spots nicely with his dribbling moves, smoothly getting to his mid-range jumper. He has great vision, being one of the top passers in the area as well.

How do you think your team and yourself performed throughout this season?rn-I think our team did pretty good this year. We definitely had our ups and downs but overall we accomplished most of our goals. We built a brotherhood and played for each other every night. We got ourselves back into state for the first time in a decade and that was a good ending to the season for us.

What was the biggest obstacle you and your team faced this season?rn-I would say our biggest obstacle was decently going on a 0-4 streak at the beginning of the season. Losing our rivalry game really set us back and from there we couldn’t get going. We our big to an injury 2 games after that and that made things worse. It was definitely a challenge for us.

What do you think you improved most on the court?rn-I think I improved the most in my defense. I got more active on defense and faster the light the season, really being able to anticipate the guards and stay on their best players.

What are you looking to improve before next season?rn-Before next season I would like to improve my shooting for sure that’s one thing I feel like once I get knockdown constant shot I’ll be harder to guard. I’m able to make open and contested jumpers already but I would like to get better at it.

Who are some teammates that you think stood out this season? Who are some teammates who could have breakout years next year in your eyes?rn-I think Quinn Swanson Quinn Swanson 6'2" | SG Mt. Vernon | 2024 State WA had a good season for sure being face guarded still going off every night he was a good contributor to the team and I think he has a very bright future. I think Quinn and Xavier will have a breakout season Quinn senior year he’s definitely looking to come out strong and do what he does. Xavier’s gotten a lot better and improved his basketball IQ and shot filling in big spot for us next year excited to see them do good.

Michael is insanely athletic and displays that on the court easily. He plays on an extremely talented Seattle Select squad so that alone will help him grow his game in ways that he isn’t able too during the high school season. Seattle Select also played their team up an age group last tournament, which will help any player. Michael displayed an excellent deep shot and his playmaking ability the previous tournament.

Michael also plays a solid role with Mount Vernon but during the AAU season he too will also show more of an expanded game. He facilitates the ball nicely, finding his teammates with ease. During the summer his scoring ability will be on display every weekend and he will showcase his deep shot throughout the summer.

Michael plays alongside Quinn Swanson Quinn Swanson 6'2" | SG Mt. Vernon | 2024 State WA , who is a great scorer. Michael is able to get to his spots nicely when he wants, being able to drop 20 any night. He facilitates the offense for the Bulldogs really well, as they are a high scoring team. With 2023 guard DeVari Davis DeVari Davis 6'2" | PG Mt. Vernon | 2023 WA graduating, there will be a little bit more on Johnson’s shoulders next year.

Michael is really crafty on the court, one of my favorite players to watch. He handles the ball really well, containing his dribbles while attacking the bucket often. He facilitates the offense nicely, finding his teammates when they are open. He has some great shooters on the outside to kick it out to in DeVari Davis DeVari Davis 6'2" | PG Mt. Vernon | 2023 WA and Quinn Swanson Quinn Swanson 6'2" | SG Mt. Vernon | 2024 State WA . Be on the watch for Michael.

Michael is a player who I watched live a couple times over the summer and he impressed me quite a bit. He was a leader on the court with a Mount Vernon team that has other guards who can score at will. Johnson attacks the rim with force, knowing how to use his body to his advantage to finish athletically around the rim. He’s going to continue to grow his game in the aspects needed.