Indiana announces Xavier Johnson transfer

Indiana formally announced the acceptance of transfer point guard Xavier Johnson from Pittsburgh with a release on Monday morning. That release, which includes bio information and comments from coach Mike Woodson, follows:

Hoosiers Add Transfer Xavier Johnson To Men’s Basketball Program

Indiana University men’s basketball coach Mike Woodson has announced that Xavier Johnson, a 6-3 guard who played his first three seasons at Pitt, will transfer and join the program beginning next season.  He will have two seasons of eligibility.

“Xavier will be an important addition to our team and should have an immediate impact,” said Woodson.  “He is a high-intensity player who brings tremendous energy on both ends of the floor.  He has a presence about himself that translates into his ability to provide leadership in a key role.  He especially flourishes in transition where he can create for himself and his teammates.”

He is a native of Woodbridge, Va.,  and a graduate of Bishop O’Connell High School.  He also played for the Team Takeover AAU program which produced former IU National Player of the Year and All-American Victor Oladipo.  He originally signed out of high school with Nebraska after being recruited by current IU assistant coach Kenya Hunter.

For his career in three seasons, he averaged 13.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Johnson shot 40.2 percent (362-of-901) from the field, including 33.6 percent (93-of-227) from 3-point range and 76.1 percent (335-of-440) from the foul line.

In his first collegiate season, he broke a 34-year old frosh scoring record held by Charles Smith with 512 points.  He also set Pitt freshman records for scoring (15.5 ppg.), double-figure scoring games (28), games with 15 or more points (17), 20+ point games (nine), free throws made (157), free throw attempts (209) and field goal attempts (383).

He was born on  Oct. 14, 1999 and is the son of Michael and La’Kesha Johnson. He  has two brothers, Chaleb and Latham, and a sister, Mya.  His cousin, Larry Gibson, played for the Hoosiers from 1969-71.

https://twitter.com/XavierJ0hnson/status/1381608134574276609?s=20

Career

• In three seasons at Pitt, had 1,152 points, 311 rebounds, 415 assists and 124 steals in 84 career games … started 81 of 84 games
• Ranks sixth in the Pitt career record books with 4.7 assists per game
• Became the first Pitt player to surpass 750 career points and 300 career assists as a sophomore
• Has scored in double figures in 66 of 84 career games …recorded 15 games with 20 or more points scoring, including two 30-point efforts
• Posted five double-digit assist games … has dished out five or more assists in 45 contests

2020-21

• Averaged 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.72 assists in 18 games, making 16 starts
• Shot 42.6 percent (80-of-188) from the field and 78.7 percent (70-of-89) from the free throw line
• Led the team in assists with 103, his straight season with 100-plus assists.
• Scored in double digits in 13 of 18 games
• Ranked second in the ACC in assists per game, third in assists, sixth in free throw percentage and 13^th in scoring
• Had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists against No. 15 Florida State (2/20)
• Scored 14 points and added three assists against NC State (2/17)
• Recorded 13 points with four assists against Virginia Tech (2/3)
• Had 10 points with seven assists and four boards against No. 14 Virginia (2/6)
• Put up a career-high 32 points on 11-fo-17 shooting while adding seven assists and five rebounds in a victory against No. 16 Virginia Tech (2/3)
• Scored 14 points with eight assists and three boards against Wake (1/23)
• Set a season-high with 11 assists, while also adding nine points and three rebounds against Duke (1/19)
• Had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds while going a perfect 13-for-13 from the charity stripe against Syracuse (1/16)
• Registered 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting with four assists and three boards against Gardner-Webb (12/12)
• Scored 21 points, knocking down five 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds and four assists at Northwestern (12/9)
• Had 15 points, seven assists, three boards and two steals against Northern Illinois (12/5)
• Poured in 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals against Drexel (12/28)
• Opened the season with 10 assists, nine points and five rebounds against St. Francis (11/25)

2019-20

• Averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game while starting 32 of 33 games …shot 37.3 percent (123-of-330) from the field, including 33.0 percent (31-of-94) from three-point range … also shot 76.1 percent (108-of-142) from the foul line
• Shared the team lead with 23 double-figure scoring games, including a pair of 20+ point games
• Led the team in scoring six times and in assists in 21 games
• Had five or more assists in a game 19 times … added 17 games with two or more steals
• Recorded a team-high 24 offensive fouls drawn
• One of four players in the ACC averaging at least 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game
• Finished sixth in the ACC with 4.94 assists per game … also ranked among the league leaders in steals (T-6th – 1.76 spg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (13th – 1.47:1)
• Had 15 points, a career-high eight rebounds and two steals in the second round of the ACC Tournament against NC State (3/11)
• Delivered 10 points, five rebounds, eight assists and three steals in an ACC Tournament win over Wake Forest (3/10)
• Had 13 points and three assists at NC State (2/29)
• Scored 16 points to go along with four assists and a career-high six steals against Virginia (2/22)
• Recorded 12 points, four rebounds, seven assists and five steals at No. 8 Florida State (2/18)
• Had 11 points and four rebounds at Virginia Tech (2/15)
• Posted 11 points, three steals and seven assists with no turnovers in a win over Georgia Tech (2/8)
• Registered 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals at Notre Dame (2/5)
• Finished with 13 points, six assists and three steals in a win over Miami (2/2)
• Dished out 10 assists in a win over Boston College (1/22) for his third career double digit assist game … added nine points and four rebounds
• Scored 20 points in a home win over UNC going 10-of-12 from the foul line … added six rebounds, six assists and two steals
• Had 11 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals versus No. 11 Louisville
• Recorded 17 points, three rebounds and three assists in a road win over North Carolina (1/8)
• Had 11 points, four rebounds and six assists against Wake Forest (1/4)
• Posted 16 points, eight assists and four steals in a win over Canisius (12/30)
• Tallied 11 points, four rebounds and three assists versus Northern Illinois (12/16
• Went 6-of-10 from the field and scored 15 points at No. 1 Louisville (12/6)
• Scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field to go along with eight assists in a win over Rutgers
• Named to the Fort Myers Tip-Off all-tournament team after averaging 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in wins over Kansas State and Northwestern
• Finished with 11 points, four rebounds and eight assists in the title game against Northwestern (11/27)
• Went 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in a 12-point effort against Kansas State (11/25)
• Had 13 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals versus Arkansas Pine Bluff (11/21)
• Scored 15 points and added three rebounds and nine assists against Monmouth (11/18)
• Had seven points, six rebounds and seven assists in a road win over Robert Morris (11/12)
• Recorded 10 points, five rebounds and three assists versus Nicholls State (11/9)
• Opened the season with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in a win over Florida State (11/6)

2018-19

• Selected to the All-ACC Freshman Team … member of the ACC Honor Roll
• Started all 33 games that he appeared in … averaged 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game … shot 41.5 percent (159-of-383) from the field, 35.2 percent (37-of-105) from three-point range and 75.1 percent (157-of-209) from the free throw line
• Led the team in field goals made (159), free throws made (157), free throw attempts (209), points (512), points per game (15.5) and assists (149) … finished second on the team with 43 steals
• Led the ACC in free throws made (157) … ranked fifth in the conference in assists (149) and assists per game (4.5 apg.) … ranked top 15 in the conference in points per game (15.5 ppg.)
• Began his career with 18 straight double-digit games, the longest such streak by a freshman in Pitt history, and ended the year with 28 double-digit performances … scored 20 points or more nine times during the season, including one 30-point game
• The only player in the ACC to average at least 15.0 points and 4.5 assists per game
• Led Pitt to an ACC Tournament win with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals against Boston College (3/12)
• Recorded 10 points, six assists, five rebounds and one steal against Notre Dame (3/9)
• Had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists at Miami (3/5)
• Registered 14 points, two rebounds and two assists against Clemson (2/27)
• Scored 14 points to go with six assists and two rebounds at Georgia Tech (2/20)
• Went 5-of-9 from the field for 18 points and recorded five assists against No. 22 Virginia Tech (2/16)
• Dropped 17 points to go with five rebounds against NC State (2/9)
• Recorded 23 points, six rebounds and nine assists at Wake Forest (2/5)
• Posted 14 points, five rebounds and six assists against Syracuse (2/2) … was 9-of-12 from the free throw line
• Went 10-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc, to score 30 points at Clemson (1/29) … also recorded four rebounds and two steals
• Scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists at Syracuse (1/19) … went 3-of-5 from three-point range … recorded the 18th consecutive game double-figure scoring game to start his career
• Dropped 18 points in a win over No. 11 Florida State (1/14) … was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw stripe
• Had 25 points and two assists at No. 15 NC State (1/12) … went 8-of-12 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line
• Recorded his second double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 assists in an ACC win over Louisville (1/9)
• Had 14 points and three rebounds against No. 15 North Carolina (1/5)
• Tallied 11 points, six assists and four rebounds against Colgate (12/19)
• Went 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line and 5-of-9 from the field for 21 points against New Orleans (12/20) … also recorded six assists in the game
• Registered 12 points and four assists in a win over Maryland Eastern Shore (12/15)
• Scored 21 points to go with six rebounds and two steals at West Virginia (12/8) … went 10-of-11 from the foul line
• Went 3-of-5 from behind the arc and finished with 19 points against Niagara (12/3) … added three assists and three steals
• Finished with 10 points, four rebounds and five assists against Duquesne (11/30)
• Dropped 18 points with six assists and four rebounds at No. 14 Iowa (11/27)
• Scored 20 points against Saint Louis (11/21) … went 6-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line
• Recorded 23 points, four rebounds and three assists in a win over North Alabama (11/17)
• Tallied 12 points with four rebounds and three assists over Central Arkansas (11/15)
• Posted 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists against Troy (11/12)
• Recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 assists in a win over VMI (11/9)
• Dropped 16 points with five rebounds and six assists over Youngstown State (11/6)

High School

• Played at Bishop O’Connell for head coach Joe Wooten … finished high school career with 1,034 points
• Led Bishop O’Connell to a 30-9 record and No. 5 state ranking as a senior … averaged 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game
• Led the team to championship game appearances in the Virginia Independent Schools State Tournament and Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament
• Topped the 30-point mark four times and had four double-doubles
• Received Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors … also named first team All-Metro by Washington Post
• A 2018 McDonald’s All-American nominee
• Named first team all-state by the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association
• Selected Most Outstanding Player at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament
• Had 31 points and five rebounds in a win over Georgetown Prep (12/2)
• Recorded 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a win over Bishop McNamara (12/12)
• Scored 28 points in a win over St. Marys Ryken (1/2)
• Went 13-of-16 from the foul line and finished with 31 points against St. John’s (1/7)
• Recorded a double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Carroll (1/16)
• Posted 20 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 12 assists against Episcopal (1/20)
• Had 24 points and six assists in a win over Bishop Ireton (1/24)
• Recorded 23 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists against St. Mary’s Ryken (2/2)
• Had 29 points in a win over St. John’s (2/13)
• Made three three-point field goals and finished with 27 points against DeMatha (2/25)
• Helped the Knights to a 20-10 record as a junior … averaged 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game … named second team All-WCAC
• Scored a season-high 32 points against Gonzaga (1/31)
• Posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds against Paul VI (12/13)
• Had 22 points in a season-opening win over Middlesburg Academy (12/1)

Personal

• Father, Michael, played basketball at Covenant College
• God-brother is former Georgia Tech standout and former Boston Celtic Marcus Georges-Hunt
• Cousin, Larry Gibson, played basketball at Indiana … cousin, Tracey Gibson, played basketball at Valparaiso
• Rated the seventh-best prospect in the state of Virginia and the 33rd-ranked point guard in the nation by ESPN
• Ranked ninth in the state by 247Sports
• Played for Team Takeover [D.C.] on the AAU circuit … averaged 8.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game in EYBL play

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