Summer Q&A: Robert Johnson
6/6/2017 8:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Senior guard Robert Johnson will be a big part of the foundation of the 2017-18 Indiana men's basketball program. The Richmond, Virginia native will enter his senior year 22 points shy of becoming the 51st player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark and will graduate next May with a degree in liberal studies. Johnson put his name in for the 2017 NBA draft but made the decision in May to return to the Hoosiers for his senior season. He has appeared in 98 games and started 87, while averaging 27.2 minutes and 10.0 points. He averaged a career-high 12.8 points as a junior.
Q: Since you spent last summer recovering from ankle surgery, how much fun is it to be able to be back on the court full time the past few weeks?
A: I find it to be very peaceful to be able to come out and work on your game as an individual along with what we also do as a group. When you are hurt, you are part of things, but you don't get the same rewards from being able to play. I'm definitely blessed to be healthy.
Q: When you had the opportunity to talk to NBA teams what was the best feedback you got from them?
A: I think the biggest thing is to show that I could run a team. They want to see if I can play the point while showing a high level of consistency. It was good to be able to hear that.
Q: What's the biggest thing you hope to get out of this summer?
A: You obviously have individual goals, but more importantly you want to make sure the team goals come first. We have a good blend of veterans who have been through so much. The young guys like De'Ron, Curtis and DeVonte are hungry and want to make their mark and then we'll have the freshmen come in and it's always important to pass on what you can to make their transition as easy as possible. Everybody has the opportunity to be a leader, but it's up to the seniors to make sure that is not forgotten.
Q: When you went down toward the end of the regular season in 2016, what did you learn?
A: I learned some things. I think the most important thing was to be thankful for every day that your healthy. It was great to be part of winning a championship when no one gave us a chance. I was able to come back and help the team in the NCAA tournament, but then I went down again against Kentucky and I was really disappointed I couldn't get healthy enough to come back against North Carolina.
Q: For you personally, what do you hope to accomplish as a senior?
A: I think we can play at a championship level. If you trust one another and stay consistent anything is possible. The Big Ten is a great league where any team get hot and any team can hit a rough patch. We won 15 games when we won the championship. That's something to be proud of.
Q: What is it like to wear the Indiana jersey?
A: It's such an honor. I'm proud that I am going to be a graduate of IU. There is such great tradition here and I love the experiences that I have had since coming here.
Q: How important have your teammates been to you?
A: I think it's the best part of being part of something like this. I learned a lot from being with Yogi for two years and James and I are like brothers. You learn that others make you better and you have to do the same. There was no better feeling than being in the locker room at Iowa after winning the Big Ten title. We've had a lot of great moments here and working toward a common goal every day and achieving that goal is very gratifying. I look at all of the guys who have had to experience adversity with injuries here like myself, Collin, James, OG, and Juwan. Knowing you have someone who can help you through that means everything.
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Summer Q&A Series
Catch up with previous interviews with rising sophomores Curtis Jones and De'Ron Davis as they spend the summer working out on campus Jones | Davis |
Q: Since you spent last summer recovering from ankle surgery, how much fun is it to be able to be back on the court full time the past few weeks?
A: I find it to be very peaceful to be able to come out and work on your game as an individual along with what we also do as a group. When you are hurt, you are part of things, but you don't get the same rewards from being able to play. I'm definitely blessed to be healthy.
Q: When you had the opportunity to talk to NBA teams what was the best feedback you got from them?
A: I think the biggest thing is to show that I could run a team. They want to see if I can play the point while showing a high level of consistency. It was good to be able to hear that.
Q: What's the biggest thing you hope to get out of this summer?
A: You obviously have individual goals, but more importantly you want to make sure the team goals come first. We have a good blend of veterans who have been through so much. The young guys like De'Ron, Curtis and DeVonte are hungry and want to make their mark and then we'll have the freshmen come in and it's always important to pass on what you can to make their transition as easy as possible. Everybody has the opportunity to be a leader, but it's up to the seniors to make sure that is not forgotten.
Q: When you went down toward the end of the regular season in 2016, what did you learn?
A: I learned some things. I think the most important thing was to be thankful for every day that your healthy. It was great to be part of winning a championship when no one gave us a chance. I was able to come back and help the team in the NCAA tournament, but then I went down again against Kentucky and I was really disappointed I couldn't get healthy enough to come back against North Carolina.
Q: For you personally, what do you hope to accomplish as a senior?
A: I think we can play at a championship level. If you trust one another and stay consistent anything is possible. The Big Ten is a great league where any team get hot and any team can hit a rough patch. We won 15 games when we won the championship. That's something to be proud of.
Q: What is it like to wear the Indiana jersey?
A: It's such an honor. I'm proud that I am going to be a graduate of IU. There is such great tradition here and I love the experiences that I have had since coming here.
Q: How important have your teammates been to you?
A: I think it's the best part of being part of something like this. I learned a lot from being with Yogi for two years and James and I are like brothers. You learn that others make you better and you have to do the same. There was no better feeling than being in the locker room at Iowa after winning the Big Ten title. We've had a lot of great moments here and working toward a common goal every day and achieving that goal is very gratifying. I look at all of the guys who have had to experience adversity with injuries here like myself, Collin, James, OG, and Juwan. Knowing you have someone who can help you through that means everything.
Players Mentioned
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