Week 1 Star: Carlos Johnson (2020)
Benton Harbor is a deep and talented team with state championship aspirations. They started the 2017-2018 season showing us exactly why that is a possibility. To open the season, Benton Harbor defeated Dowagiac 77-43. To round out Week 1 they played a talented Goodrich squad and beat them 88-44.
Carlos Johnson is a star, not just in Michigan, but nationally as well. He is athletic, strong, and contributes in a variety of ways. Johnson is basically a walking double-double. The 6-6 sophomore wing sent a message in Week 1. Against Dowagiac he had 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. Johnson followed that monster game with another stellar performance against Goodrich. In that matchup he had 25 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 blocked shots. These two stat lines added up to an amazing Week 1 total: 48 points, 34 rebounds, and 8 blocked shots. Not to mention, he had double digit assist numbers as well.
One of the great things about Carlos Johnson’s performance was that he was great ALONG WITH his teammates. His performance didn’t hinder other players numbers, but it actually helped. Senior point guard Elijah Baxter ran the floor with speed and efficiency. Johnson put himself in position for Baxter to find him in scoring positions. Senior small forward Shawn Hopkins flew up and down the court and was a weapon offensively. He scored 49 points in Week 1.
There were a lot of star performances in Week 1 of the season (Rashad Williams, Foster Loyer, Brandon Wade, and Brandon Johns for example). In Week 1 I was especially impressed with Carlos Johnson’s ability to be a star, but still allow the game to be a complete team effort. While he starred, so did his teammates. Many consider this the ultimate form of greatness in basketball: When your success on the court facilitates the success of others. Carlos Johnson was that type of star in Week 1.