2018 Holy Spirit F Kamani Johnson talks recruitment, season ahead and more
The first time I watched Kamani Johnson hoop, he nearly trucked me out of my seat baseline. Luckily, he was paying attention.
I was mid-tweet at the Disney Super Showcase two summers ago and Johnson, who was then playing for Nike South Beach came crashing into my seat after making a layup. He hustled on the play and thank goodness for his ability to stop in a blink because I would have been wiped out and likely in the hospital.
Fast forward to this point and Johnson is entering his senior season with Holy Spirit Prep and fresh off a summer with the Southern Stampede.
The 6’8″, 210-pounder Georgetown has offers on his table from Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern, VMI, UCF, Memphis and Northern Kentucky. He also has generated interest from Oklahoma, Georgetown, Nebraska, Elon, Utah, Georgia Tech and Minnesota.
Johnson went on an unoffical visit to Oklahoma this past weekend. He said it went very well. He had visits with FGCU and UAB earlier in the summer. He’ll be headed to Kennesaw State on November 3rd.
He reminisced about his first season at Holy Spirit Prep calling it a strong season for him. He said it was great to finally find a home there and that it was very important to him. Johnson was playing at Montverde, a Florida powerhouse prior to coming to Atlanta.
The Cougars won the GISA state title with a 63-44 victory over The Heritage School of Newnan in March. Johnson showed up big in that game with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“Bringing a state championship to the school with the group we had was a great experience for me and the guys personally for me was just a check off of the list of what I wanted to accomplish when I made my decision to transfer to HSP.
I think from this past season I learned how to control a game and working with coach Greg [McClaire] who was a former Division I guard and played professionally has helped my understanding of the game from a guard perspective so I can make certain screens or see certain things that I wouldn’t even think of doing before,” Johnson told Prep Hoops Georgia. “I think the part of my game that grew most was most definitely my shooting all around the court pull-ups and set shots have improved. I worked on moving it to the right and up a little bit so, with a consistent shot now it definitely allows me to do more than usual and spread out the floor.”
Johnson projects his role as a veteran leader who wants to make sure his team has that competitive edge each game. He says he thinks people are still sleeping on the program.
He called his first summer with the Stampede a good experience. He said the team is basically family and he enjoyed playing with them.
Johnson is focused on winning another state title and he wants to prove himself to anyone who doubts him. His older brother Dakari is a former Montverde alum who now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. So basketball is in his blood.
In terms of his biggest strengths, he called that his versatility.
“As a big wing, I can guard the 2-5 and also play the teams who have a hard time finding a defensive matchup for me on the offense,” Johnson said. “I think I’m a very good scorer and an elite defender that can play multiple positions well.”
He wants to continue to improve his upper body strength this season and beyond.
Johnson is a really good kid. He is focused on the task ahead. He simply loves the game and is passionate about getting better each and every day in and out of the classroom. I’m looking forward to seeing Johnson take his game to the next level this season.