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Johnson, Kutztown setting bar high for 2015-16

10/20/2015, 8:30pm EDT
By Jeff Griffith

Josh Joshson (above) is in his third year of starting at Kutztown and closing in on 1000 points. (Photo courtesy Kutztown athletics)

Jeff Griffith (@jeff_griffith21)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of CoBL's 2015-16 College Season Preview, which will run from October 2-November 13, the first day of games. For the complete rundown, click here)

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Led by Josh Johnson, one of four highly talented juniors entering a third year in the Kutztown basketball program, the Golden Bears could be poised to have a breakout year in 2015-16.

As his team's leading returning scorer and rebounder, Johnson--a 6-8, 200-pound forward--has a chance to be in line for All-PSAC Player of the Year honors this season, but after nearly reaching the conference pinnacle as a team last year, his one goal for this team is to win a conference championship.

“Honestly, I never really focus on that, I see that as kind of a distraction personally, but like I said, just to win the championship, that’s my goal. All that other stuff, I’ll be honored to have whatever I get, but at the same time, I just want to win the championship,” he said.

As a sophomore, Johnson started in all thirty-one games for the Bears, averaging 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds on a team that went 19-12 overall, including a 14-8 record in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play.

Now, as a captain and upperclassman, Johnson will be expected to progress into a leadership role both on and off the court.

“Since I’m a captain now, because it’s my junior year, I feel like I have to keep doing more leadership toward my guys--coming to practice first, being the last to leave--and also just taking care of my body. I’m not as mobile as I was a couple years ago, but that’s the leadership aspect of everything, that’s been a big role for me so far,” Johnson said.

Of the five members of the Kutztown junior class--which includes Johnson, point guard Austin Beidelman, Coatesville alum Howard Sellars, ex-Souderton wing Ryan Connolly, and shooting guard Martin Dietrich--four entered the Kutztown program as freshman, with Sellars joining the team last offseason after transferring out of Division I Saint Peter’s.

Of those five, all but one--Dietrich being the lone outlier--are expected to play in starting roles in the upcoming season, with the fifth starter being redshirt senior Anthony Selby.

“The chemistry has always been there, we’ve been playing with each other since my freshman year with the program, playing at some pro-ams, so our biggest thing is chemistry,” Johnson said. “We know each other well, we always hang out, we know where our hot spots are of course, when to pass and when to not pass, and always to keep each other up and never down.”

Last season, it was apparent that Kutztown had a talented roster, but the Bears’ lack of experience kept them from winning several of the games on their PSAC schedule.

Two two-point losses to Lock Haven, a four-overtime loss against West Chester, and a six-point loss to East Stroudsburg accounted for half of the Bears PSAC losses, and were just a few instances where Johnson noted a lack of maturity that’s likely to change in the upcoming season.

“With Lock Haven, we kind of played down to their competition because they weren’t as good as some of the other PSAC teams, and that kind of messed us up, and with ESU, I think we just turned it up too late at ESU, but I think the best thing for us to do this year is to always playing one hundred percent, and with the group we have now, I think we can do that,” Johnson said.

“It was mostly sophomores on the team last year, with the exception of about four seniors, so I think this year we’re very mature,” he added.

Along with that maturity comes a more heavy responsibility in team leadership, and Kutztown head coach Bernie Driscoll has Johnson working on becoming a leader in both his play and the way he acts around his teammates.

“Josh has taken that step every year, so I think this is the next logical step in that progression,” Driscoll said. “Besides being a very good basketball player now, let’s take on some leadership qualities, take on some leadership roles, don’t always acquiesce to somebody else in the room. You’re one of the better players in the league, start acting like it.”

More specifically, the coaching staff would like to see Johnson improve on his ball-handling ability. He has developed an impressive mid-range jumper, but the coaches see his next step being an ability to get to the rim and create opportunities at the free throw line with his long, athletic frame.

“His numbers are good, but if he can get to the foul line ten or twelve times a game, he can start to put up some monster numbers,” Driscoll added. “He’s got to get the ball, he’s got to attack the glass, he’s got to get to the rim, and he’s got to get to the foul line.”

With the Bears’ season opener looming on November 14 against SUNY-ESF, the quest for the championship is about ready to begin. With yet another season of growth and maturation under their belts, Johnson and the talented, hungry junior class will certainly be more prepared than ever to face the road ahead.

“We’ve been approaching it with the same preparation ever since my freshman year,” said Johnson. “Our goal is to win a PSAC championship. That’s been our goal since day one, that’s been my goal ever since, I have yet to play for a championship in my years of being a basketball player, so that’s something we’re all looking forward to.”


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