A Closer Look at Garfield Johns
Garfield Johns came to Monroe College in the Bronx, N.Y., with the reputation as a big-time scorer. Thus far, he hasn't disappointed.
Johns, a 6-2 freshman off guard, has started 21 of 25 games this season for the Mustangs. He leads Monroe in scoring at an 18.6 clip per game, and also collects 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per contest for the 17-8 Mustangs.
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JUCO Junction had evaluated Johns on Tuesday night in Monroe's 92-75 victory over Region XV rival Westchester C.C.
In that game, Johns erupted for 21 of his 28 points in the second half to rally the Mustangs to victory. Two things became clear in that game.
First, Johns simply has a knack for scoring. He's got a good first step, so he can elude defenders on the way to the hole.
Second, Johns doesn't think that any shot is a bad shot. That can be a double-edged sword, but he's confident to think that if he keeps hoisting, some of them are going to go in.
Against Westchester, Johns tossed up 13 treys, hitting six of them. He hit five in the second half alone, helping Monroe erase a first half double-digit deficit. So he has a bit of a streaky side to him, but Johns showed he is much more than a one-dimensional scorer.
A southpaw, Johns moves well without the basketball and has a quick release. So if the defense breaks down, he can make them pay.
While it's still early to speculate on his recruitment, Monroe Head Coach Jeff Brustad said that Wichita State, Manhattan, Eastern Kentucky and Albany have shown some interest in Johns.
Based on his play thus far this season, Johns is easily a mid-major recruiting target. If he can cut down on turnovers and fine tune his decision-making, he might even see some higher looks by next fall.
JUCO Junction will keep an eye on Johns' progress this season, and highlight other top prospects in the J.C. Class of 2005 as the season winds down. Stay tuned.