SEPARATE PATHS
The Tigers’ four senior guards are going their own ways to pursue pro careers in basketball.
Between choosing an agent and preparing for workouts with retired NBA coach and player John Lucas in Houston, ex-University of Memphis guard Geron Johnson has been working on his 15page senior project, the final requirement for his May 10 graduation.
Johnson could have left school when the Tigers’ season ended roughly four weeks ago in the third round of the NCAA tournament to focus on his pursuit of a professional basketball career. But he felt he owed it to himself and coach Josh Pastner to get his degree.
“I just got my cap and gown ordered,” Johnson said. “It won’t hit me until I’m up there about to get that (diploma). It’s another level. It’s better than basketball. I feel, personally, it’s outstanding.”
Memphis’ four senior guards — Johnson, Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford and Michael Dixon Jr. — have gone their separate ways for the most part since the season ended. Johnson said they still talk, though not as often.
“Mike comes back (to Memphis) for his class and works out in St. Louis. Chris is leaving soon to go to his workouts in Atlanta, I think. Joe’s in Florida,” Johnson said. “We definitely talk whenever we get the chance, but it’s business time, and we all know we’re in the climax of our life. We all got the
same goals right now.”
Though each has NBA aspirations, none of the four is projected as a surefire NBA draft pick.
ESPN.com draft expert Chad Ford has Johnson listed as the 149th-best prospect and Jackson at No. 169. Neither NBADraft.net nor DraftExpress.com has any of the four projected to be selected in June’s draft, though Jackson is listed among NBADraft. net’s top 100 prospects (No. 88).
“All four are going to have opportunities to make money off the game. There’s no doubt about that. And all four are going to have their degrees,” Pastner said.
“(Whether they will be drafted) depends on how guys do in their workouts with the pro teams. But I also think, as we’ve seen with (former Tigers) D.J. Stephens or Adonis Thomas, there’s other avenues to get yourself into the NBA too. If you’re good they’ll find you, whether you’re in the D-League or overseas.”
While Johnson, who signed with agent Bernie Lee of Lee Basketball Services, begins workouts in Houston this week, Jackson has been in Florida working out in skills trainer Ganon Baker’s Elev|8 predraft program. This week, Jackson, who signed with agent Charles Briscoe of Briscoe Sports Management, is playing in the Portsmouth Invitational in Virginia, with 63 other college seniors.
Thomas, who elected to go to the D-League after he went undrafted last June, believes Jackson will get a shot in the NBA, just as he has. Thomas earned three 10-day contracts with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers this season after playing well for the D-League’s Springfield Armor.
“Yeah, I mean Joe’s a great guy. Fast guard. Makes shots. Great point guard. He’ll definitely have an opportunity, especially with his name,” Thomas said.
“I wasn’t in any rush for money. I feel like I’m an NBA guy. I wanted to get here and I wanted to stay here. So this was the best route. The quickest way to get (to the NBA) is the D-League. There’s a lot of sacrifices you’ve got to make, obviously, with the D-League, but it turned out great for me.”
If Johnson goes undrafted, which he doesn’t expect to happen — “I don’t think that 30 teams in the NBA are going to bypass what I can do on the court and the difference I can make,” he said — Johnson said he plans to go to the D-League rather than overseas.
“I would go the Adonis route,” he said. “I definitely want to take care of my people soon, but we could hold off for a few months and go that route if that came into play. In Adonis’ situation, the route he went, he made probably 85 percent of the money he would’ve made overseas. So that’s a great route. I wouldn’t want to go overseas. Injury. You don’t want to get lost over there. You never know what might happen.”