GDS’s Freddy Johnson to
coach in tonight’s Jordan Brand
Classic all-star game.
BY JOE SIRERA
joe.sirera@greensboro.com
GREENSBORO — Greensboro Day’s Freddy Johnson said he was “honored” to be chosen to coach in tonight’s
Jordan Brand Classic high school basketballall-star game. But even after 992 victories in 40-plus seasons, what excites Johnson most is the chance to learn from the players and his fellow coaches.
“I’m looking at it as a way I can gain knowledge in the game being around all those guys,” Johnson said of the coaches. “I’m also going to talk to the players and ask them what works and doesn’t work with them — how they get motivated. I really believe the key to coaching in today’s game is relationships. You have to build relationshipswith your players, and I think that’s more important than ever — whether it’s the high school level or the college level.”
Building relationships has worked pretty well for Johnson. His 2016-17 Greensboro Day teamstate championship and finished 34-4, advancing to the semifinals of the prestigious Dick’s Sporting Goods Nationals in New York.
The seventh-seeded Bengals’ 59-40 win over No. 2 seed Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy was the fi rst by a North Carolina team in that tournament.
“We’d prepared for twoweeks and we felt like wehad a really good chance if we made some shots,” Johnson said. “We didmake some shots. Jordan Perkins had a great second half and J.P. (Moorman) had a great first half.… I just wish we’d had a little more gas in our tank for the next day. Unfortunately, Montverde was a little bit too strong for us.”
Greensboro Day’s 72-45 loss to Montverde (Fla.) Academy took nothing away from the trip to New York with a senior class that included Perkins, Moorman, Solomon Smith and Pearce Landry. “We went up there to win the game, but we also went up there for the experience,” Johnson said.
“We took in the whole thing, took in other games, saw the city.” Today he’s back in New York for the Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center, where his team’s roster includes Duke signee Gary Trent Jr. and North Carolina and Duke recruiting target Kevin Knox.
It’s not Johnson’s first experience coaching in a national all-star game. He worked the McDonald’s game in 2013 and the old Capital Classic in 1997, when his all-stars included Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Baron Davis.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the kind of players I’ve had and the assistant coaches I’ve had,” Johnson said. “It’s really an honor for them. They’re the reason I’m here. I told J.P., Jordan, Solomon and Pearce that I had to thank them, because the season we had and the one we had two years ago really put me in this position.”
Contact Joe Sirera at
(336) 373-7034, and follow
@JoeSireraNR on Twitter.
won the school’s ninth NCISAA
coach in tonight’s Jordan Brand
Classic all-star game.
BY JOE SIRERA
joe.sirera@greensboro.com
GREENSBORO — Greensboro Day’s Freddy Johnson said he was “honored” to be chosen to coach in tonight’s
Jordan Brand Classic high school basketballall-star game. But even after 992 victories in 40-plus seasons, what excites Johnson most is the chance to learn from the players and his fellow coaches.
“I’m looking at it as a way I can gain knowledge in the game being around all those guys,” Johnson said of the coaches. “I’m also going to talk to the players and ask them what works and doesn’t work with them — how they get motivated. I really believe the key to coaching in today’s game is relationships. You have to build relationshipswith your players, and I think that’s more important than ever — whether it’s the high school level or the college level.”
Building relationships has worked pretty well for Johnson. His 2016-17 Greensboro Day teamstate championship and finished 34-4, advancing to the semifinals of the prestigious Dick’s Sporting Goods Nationals in New York.
The seventh-seeded Bengals’ 59-40 win over No. 2 seed Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy was the fi rst by a North Carolina team in that tournament.
“We’d prepared for twoweeks and we felt like wehad a really good chance if we made some shots,” Johnson said. “We didmake some shots. Jordan Perkins had a great second half and J.P. (Moorman) had a great first half.… I just wish we’d had a little more gas in our tank for the next day. Unfortunately, Montverde was a little bit too strong for us.”
Greensboro Day’s 72-45 loss to Montverde (Fla.) Academy took nothing away from the trip to New York with a senior class that included Perkins, Moorman, Solomon Smith and Pearce Landry. “We went up there to win the game, but we also went up there for the experience,” Johnson said.
“We took in the whole thing, took in other games, saw the city.” Today he’s back in New York for the Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center, where his team’s roster includes Duke signee Gary Trent Jr. and North Carolina and Duke recruiting target Kevin Knox.
It’s not Johnson’s first experience coaching in a national all-star game. He worked the McDonald’s game in 2013 and the old Capital Classic in 1997, when his all-stars included Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Elton Brand and Baron Davis.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the kind of players I’ve had and the assistant coaches I’ve had,” Johnson said. “It’s really an honor for them. They’re the reason I’m here. I told J.P., Jordan, Solomon and Pearce that I had to thank them, because the season we had and the one we had two years ago really put me in this position.”
Contact Joe Sirera at
(336) 373-7034, and follow
@JoeSireraNR on Twitter.
won the school’s ninth NCISAA
