Indiana Basketball: Xavier Johnson may be the X factor

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 08: Xavier Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Panthers directs his teammates during the second half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center on January 08, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Pitt won 73-65. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 08: Xavier Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Panthers directs his teammates during the second half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center on January 08, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Pitt won 73-65. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Xavier Johnson may be the X factor for IU this upcoming season.

Johnson comes to Indiana after three really productive seasons at Pitt playing for Jeff Capel and the Panthers. There is no question that Xavier is uber-talented. His numbers at Pitt bear that out.

2018-19   31.8 MIN   15.5 PPG   41.5% FG   35.2% 3FG   75.1% FT   4.5 AST

2019-20   33.3 MIN   11.7 PPG   37.3% FG   33.0% 3FG   76.1% FT   4.9 AST

2020-21   28.6 MIN   14.4 PPG   42.6% FG   32.1% 3FG   78.7% FT   5.7 AST

Those are not bad numbers. Yes, the field goal shooting percentage is lower than you would like it to be, but without watching all of those games to see what is behind those percentages, I am not too concerned. Some of that could have been the system he was playing in, and what his team needed from him.

He is an excellent free-throw shooter and has improved every season from the line. So he is not a bad shooter. So what is behind those low percentages?

To gain some insight, I reached out to Busting Bracket’s Site Expert, and long-time Pitt fan, Tristan Freeman, and asked him what I should make of Johnson’s low shooting percentages. He told me that shot selection and inconsistency were to blame. But Tristan added, “To his defense, a lack of frontcourt (talent) and overall ball movement limited what he could do.”

That makes me feel better. My man, Tristan, knows his college hoops. And he added this at the end of his comments, “(Johnson) can be a hog for sure.” I like to hear that.

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 11: Xavier Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Panthers attempts a shot against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 11: Xavier Johnson #1 of the Pittsburgh Panthers attempts a shot against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Another area of concern is Xavier’s turnover numbers. In his freshman season, Johnson averaged 4.0 turnovers a game. That’s a high number for your point guard. He improved those numbers slightly in his sophomore and junior seasons, averaging 3.4 and 3.3 a game respectively.

To put those numbers in perspective, Al Durham’s turnover numbers at Indiana never exceeded 1.9 a game in any of his four seasons at IU. Of course, Al never averaged more than 2.6 assists per game either. So, the higher assist production by Johnson, in my mind, makes up for the higher turnover mark.

What statistics can’t show you is Xavier Johnson’s athleticism. He has great speed and quickness, combined with strength that allows him to get in the lane, both to distribute and to score. At 6-3, 200lbs, Johnson has great size for a point guard and should be right at home in the rugged Big Ten.

One concern that I have is Johnson’s ability to control his emotions on the court. He has had a history of talking to the officials and even the other team’s bench. Jeff Capel, his coach at Pitt wrestled with Johnson over this at times. That concerns me a little.

I am great with a guy who is passionate and confident, but he needs to be in control of his emotions too. My hope is that Xavier’s struggles with that kind of stuff just came out of frustration with the way his team was playing. Competitors hate to lose. That’s not a bad thing at all.

Indiana Hoosiers Basketball
Indiana Hoosiers Basketball /

Indiana Hoosiers Basketball

My overall impression is, even with some inconsistent shooting and some turnover troubles, Indiana has made a dramatic improvement at the starting point guard position. As much as I loved Al Durham as a player and a person, Xavier Johnson should be a definite upgrade.

He is a guy who will get into the lane and attack the basket, and he will help Indiana get out in transition.

I am really looking forward to seeing how he and Trayce Jackson-Davis are able to gel. I think that those two in the pick and roll, with shooters like Miller Kopp and Parker Stewart spacing out to the corners, will be hard to handle.

We may get a glimpse of that in just a few weeks when Indiana takes the court in the Bahamas. I can’t wait!