Jaylen Johnson

Sophomore Year:

Starter at power forward for the Cardinals in 22 games, including 18 of the last 19.
Scored at least five points in 17 games and grabbed at least four rebounds in 13 games.
Posted career-highs of 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists at Virginia Tech, his best performance in an ACC game.
Nearly produced a double-double against Hartford in the Cards’ second game of the year with nine points and eight rebounds.
Scored 10 points against UMKC while also pulling down five rebounds.
His mother Janetta Johnson played for Wisconsin and professionally in Portugal. Her 130 blocked shots in 1988-89 is the Badgers’ single-season record and she averaged a team-high 12.6 points and 8.5 rebounds that season.
His mother Janetta Johnson, who moved to Louisville in 2014 from Michigan, is the first-year girls basketball coach at Central High School in Louisville.

Freshman Year:

Showed continued improvement throughout the year and particularly late in the season when he played key minutes in five of the last six games as a freshman.
Logged an average of 4.6 minutes in his 23 appearances, primarily in relief of Montrezl Harrell. He committed just six turnovers on the season.
Had a season-best seven points and five rebounds against Savannah State.
Scored six points and grabbed two rebounds vs. FIU.
Grabbed at least two rebounds off the bench in six games.
Did not arrive on campus until August, was hampered early with an injury and was behind other freshmen in practice and conditioning when the season began.

High School:

Averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.3 blocked shots and 4.1 assists as a senior in leading Ypsilanti High School to a 21-3 record with a 15-game winning streak before falling in the Class A regional finals. He had 17 points and 16 rebounds in the regional championship game.
Produced a triple double of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Class A district title game. He grabbed double-digit rebounds in 11 games as a senior.
A finalist for the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award in Michigan, Johnson was a first team all-state selection and was the Ann Arbor News Washtenaw County Player of the Year. He was ranked No. 55 nationally by 247Sports.com, 56th by Rivals.com, 62nd by Scout.com and was among the nation’s top 25 power forwards by ESPN.
Averaged 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds as a junior in helping Ypsilanti to a 20-5 record and the school’s first regional championship since 1981. He averaged 19.7 points and 15.3 rebounds in three district games before Ypsilanti reached the state quarterfinals, where Johnson totaled 15 points and 12 boards. He was a first-team all-county selection as a junior.
Chose to sign with the Cardinals after narrowing his opportunities to Michigan State and Oregon.
Played quarterback early in his prep career.
Produced a double-double for the winning White team in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic all-star game, totaling 14 points, 10 rebounds and two assists.

Personal:

Born Aug. 7, 1996 ... Son of Janetta Johnson ... Has one younger brother (Lawrence) ... Major is communication.
Personal goal at UofL is “to be great and win a national championship.”
Enjoys praying, texting and playing video games in his spare time.
Few people know that he played quarterback in high school.
Chose to attend UofL because “I felt like I could reach my potential under Coach P and become a pro.”
Best basketball advice given to him was “never let anyone talk me out of believing in myself.”
Most proud of making it out of Ypsilanti and “becoming something.”
His mom, high school coach Steve Brooks, Pastor Shelby and Coach Pitino have had the greatest influence on his athletic career.
Feels Tyrese Gibson would be the best actor to play him in a movie.
If you walked into his dorm room, the first thing you would notice is his TV and Valentine’s Day card.
Among reality shows, he feels he would fare best on Love and Hip Hop.
Wearing No. 10 because it is the number Kobe Bryant wore while playing for the USA national team.
What impresses him the most about Coach Pitino is “his knowledge, experience and energy at his age.”
Best thing about being a Cardinal is “being a part of the family and the fans.”
Would most like to meet Kobe Bryant.