Johnson, Murry earn honors
EL DORADO - Most student-athletes play sports their entire high school careers without helping a team advance deep into the state playoffs. El Dorado's Brendan Johnson and Grace Murry accomplished that feat in their first season of senior varsity basketball.
Johnson started all year on the Wildcats' state runner-up team, including in the 6A State championship game. Murry was a parttime starter and co-point guard for a Lady Wildcats' squad that advanced to the 6A state semifinals. The two were named El Dorado News-Times Boys & Girls Basketball Rookies of the Year.
Johnson, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, joined a team loaded with veteran firepower in seniors Daniel Gafford, Czar Perry and Ryu Unice, all of whom signed collegiate letters-of-intent. The threesome combined to average 50 points per game, which meant Johnson had to find other ways to contribute without taking a lot of shots.
“BJ did the dirty work. He led the team in charges. He guarded everybody’s best perimeter player," said El
Dorado coach Gary Simmons.
Johnson averaged a modest 3.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals while playing all 33 games for the 28-5 Wildcats. But, he manned up against some of the state's top offensive players and more than held his own.
“Czar actually guarded everybody’s best offensive player that we played against this summer. Going into fall workouts, that’s what we had in mind," said Simmons. "BJ just kept coming and kept coming and kept coming and we’re thinking, ‘hey, we can make this a job for BJ, so we don’t have to worry about Czar getting in foul trouble and he can feel free to play point guard and break people down and set his teammates up and worry about that end of it.
"Now, there were also times when BJ got tired, a lot of times we switched Czar over to BJ’s man and vice versa. They were kind of interchangeable. We had actually planned on Czar doing it.”
By carrying the team's defensive stopper role, Johnson was a major factor in the Wildcats' success.
"It was huge for our team. I think it was a lot of growing up and toughness that BJ needed," said Simmons.
For the Lady Wildcats, Murry did her own fair share of growing up as a sophomore. She averaged five points and 3.2 assists per game in a rollercoaster season of ups and downs.
Those ups, including a brilliant performance against Hot Springs when she hit the game-winning free throws with no time left on the clock, have rookie coach Destinee Rogers giddy about her rookie guard.
“I’m really excited for her future. She’s going to lead the way for us the next two years. I’m really excited I get to coach her for two more years," said Rogers. "She’s a kid that does every single thing that you ask her to do. She’s a coach’s dream. She has a great attitude. She has good grades. She stays out of trouble, works extremely hard. I think the best is yet to come for this kid.”
Rogers knows a thing or two about playing point guard as a youngster. She led Strong to state titles as a freshman and a sophomore before doing the same thing at Camden Fairview. The former Central Arkansas Sugar Bear met Murry for the first time over the summer.
“The biggest thing that surprised me about her was her confidence," said Rogers. "When I first came in, this kid just had this certain type of swag about her. It was interesting. She’d whip it behind her back or go between her legs and get to the rim. She had so much confidence and that’s what I’m looking for in a young point guard. In a lot of ways, the way she wears that confidence, it reminded me of a young me. I really enjoyed seeing that out of a young kid. I can’t say enough how excited I am to get to work with her and how much she’s going to develop. The sky is the limit for this kid. She has a lot of potential and a lot of room to grow. I think she could develop into a really good guard.”
Both rookies should have a busy summer, working on their games. Murry's lack of physical strength was exposed at times defensively and her confidence wavered a bit down the stretch. Johnson will have to take on more of a load after the Wildcats lose the bulk of their scoring and ballhandling to graduation.
“Asking a sophomore to lead the team, share the point guard position is tough. I thought she lost her confidence a little bit," said Rogers. "That happens with young kids. I’m excited she went through that her sophomore year because next year, there’s no excuse. She’s been there. She’s done it. Now, it’s time to roll. She’s got that experience under her belt now."
As for the youngster's summer, her coach already has plans.
“She’s going to go one-on-one with me quite a bit.”
Johnson and some other Wildcats went to the Top 25 camp two weeks ago in Fayetteville. Simmons said the sophomore has already started a Wildcat world without Daniel, Czar and Ryu.
“It just sets the stage, especially for Keshun (Green) and BJ," said Simmons. "We went to the Top 25 camp last weekend. I think those two and Bishop Foster are already taking on some responsibility and some leadership roles. So, I think that just builds on to next year.”