Johnson Stays The Same Off The Bench

By Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Robert Johnson may not check into games at a set time this season, but his job hasn't changed.

The sophomore guard came off the bench to score 12 points in Indiana's 88-49 win against Eastern Illinois on Friday. He provided a similar spark as a sub in the Hoosiers' exhibition wins against Ottawa and Bellarmine after starting all but one game as a freshman.

Head coach Tom Crean said multiple times his lineups are by no means set in stone, but Johnson's reserve minutes reflect a problem Indiana is facing that really isn't much of a problem; the Hoosiers have too many starting guards and not enough starting spots.

As a result, Johnson is adjusting to watching the opening tip from the sideline—for now at least.

"I look at it the same," Johnson said. "I try to come in and do the same things I did when I was starting—give energy, play defense, look for opportunities to score, things like that. My mindset hasn't really changed."

Johnson provides Indiana's bench with a combination of youth-driven potential and starting experience. He started 33-of-34 games as a freshman in a guard heavy lineup and finished fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.9 points per game.

But Crean is adamant that starting spots don't matter. What matters is who impacts the game, he said.

Johnson impacted the game Friday night against Eastern Illinois.

He played 22 minutes—which ended up being the second-most minutes of any player on the team—and scored his 12 points off 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. He split minutes between bringing the ball up the floor, playing off the ball as a conventional shooting guard and spent time as a third guard when Indiana went small like it did most of last season.

One of Indiana's better defensive players, Johnson teamed with senior guard Yogi Ferrell to switch off in providing a full-court press on the opposing ball handler after Indiana made baskets throughout the game. He also grabbed two rebounds, dished out three assists and turned the ball over three times.

"I look at him as a starter. I really do," Crean said. "We want to be two-deep, and when a guy is two-deep and can play numerous positions like he can, it creates even that much more value."

Crean went on to say that Johnson is "as valuable as anybody else that we put out there" on any given night, regardless of when he enters the game. He's made it clear Johnson's spot as a reserve is by no means a reflection of anything he did wrong.

Johnson's teammates reflected a similar sentiment.

"You've just got to go out there and impact the game in any way you can," senior guard Nick Zeisloft said. He and Johnson share similar roles off the bench. "Whether you're coming off the bench, whether you don't get many minutes at all or whether you start, we're all part of this team. That's going to be the key to our success is everyone coming in and impacting the game, regardless of their role."

One of Johnson's major focuses in the offseason was simplifying his shot. He wanted to eliminate wasted motion, find a consistent landing space and get the ball off quicker so he could be more efficient as a sophomore.

None of that changes as a reserve.

It's still the same shot. The baskets are worth the same amount of points. Johnson just doesn't get his name called out during player intros.

But as he showed Friday night, that's not going to stop him from impacting the game.

"He's getting better and better," Crean said. "And the more that they can play efficiently and raise the level of everybody else, that's really important, because Robert is capable of that. Robert is capable of a lot, and we want to keep helping him get to that point."

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